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Japanese 

Prince 


(Being  some  startling  excerpts  from  the  diary  of 

Hilda  Patience  Armstrong  of  Meriden, 

Connecticut,  at  present  travelling 

in  the  Far  East) 


By 

ARCHIBALD   CLAVERING   GUNTER 

'  / 
AUTHOR  OF 

"MR.  BARNES  OF  NEW  YORK,"  "MR.  POTTER  OF 
TEXAS,"  ETC. 


NEW  YORK 

THE   HOME   PUBLISHING    COMPANY 


Copyright,  1904 

by 

A.    C.    GUNTER 
AU  Rights  Reserved 


My  Japanese   Prince 


A    LIST    OF 

Archibald  Clavering  Gunter's 

WORLD-READ      'WORKS 

The  most  Successful  Novels  of  the  Age 


The  Conscience  of  a  King 
The  Spy  Company 

The  Deacon's  Second  Wind 
Tangled  Flags 

The   Princess    of   Copper 
Adrienne  de  Portalis 

The  Fighting  Troubadour 

M.  S.  Bradford,  Special 
Jack  Curzon 

A    Lost    American 
Mr.  Barnes  of  New  York 

Mr.  Potter  of  Texas 

)Iiss  Nobody  of  Nowhere 

That    Frenchman 

Miss  Dividends 

Baron  Montez  of  Panama  and  Paris 
A  Princess  of  Paris 

The  King's  Stockbroker 

The  First  of  the  English 

The  Ladies'  Juggernaut 
Her  Senator 

Don  Balasco  of  Key  West 
Bob  Covington 

Susan  Turnbull 

Ballyho   Bey 
The  City  of  Mystery 

The  Surprises  of  An  Empty  Hotel 

Billy  Hamilton 

Cloth,  $1.50  Paper,  50  Cents 

For  Sale  by  All  Booksellers  or  sent  prepaid  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

THE   HOME    PUBLISHING   COMPANY 
3  East  Fourteenth  Street      New  York  City 


CONTENTS. 


EPISODE  THE   FIRST. 
THE  WATER  FETE  AT  TOKYO. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    The  actor  of  the  Kabukiza  Theatre 7 

II.    The  tea-house  by  the  Sumida 41 

III.  Sendai's  bridge  . 73 

EPISODE  THE  SECOND. 

MY  MANCHURIAN   HOUSE-PARTY. 

IV.  The  curious  asparagus  trench 100 

V.    Yaling,  the  Chinese  magistrate 127 

VI.    The  juggler  at  the  wedding  supper 146 

EPISODE  THE  THIRD. 

THE    MIDNIGHT    SUBSTITUTION. 

VII.    Sendai's  sacrifice  for  me .  .180 

VIII.    What  more  can  man  give?.  ....... . . .  .194 

M130922 


EPISODE  THE   FOURTH. 
A  WIDOW'S  HONEYMOON. 


CHAPTER 

IX.    A  bride,  or  not  a  bride  ? 


X.    "Shall  Kiguro's  sacrifice  be  naught?" 238 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

(Being  some  extraordinary  passages  in  the  Diary  of  Miss 
Hilda  Armstrong,  formerly  of  Meriden,  Connecticut, 
but  at  present  on  a  journey  to  the  Far  East.) 

EPISODE  THE  FIRST. 

THE  WATER  FETE  AT  TOKYO. 
CHAPTER  I. 

THE  ACTOR  OF  THE  KABUKIZA  THEATRE. 

THE  time  was  yesterday. 

"Come  on,  Angel/'  cried  Miss  Pinkie  Caldwell, 
"the  Kabukiza  Theatre  and  a  picnic  on  the  river  won't 
do  you  much  harm,  even  without  a  chaperone." 

"Pooh,  I  have  been  at  New  York  theatres,  minus 
that  undesirable  article/'  I  replied  airily.  "Father's 
down  at  Yokohama  and  will  be  busy  all  day."  Then  I 
suggested  eagerly :  "Who  are  coming  with  us  ?" 

"Baron  Serge  Schevitch  of  the  Russian  Legation 
and  Charlie  Alston  Brown." 

"Oh,  3^es,  the  Tokyo  representative  of  the  great  firm 
of  Jabez,  Slocum  &  Walters,  of  New  York,  San  Fran 
cisco,  Yokohama,  Shanghai  and  Kiuchwang,"  I 

7 


8  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

laughed.  "Mr.  Brown  has  told  mo  of  his  commercial 
importance  a  dozen  times  since  I  have  heen  in  Tokyo." 
To  this  I  added  with  American  determination :  "I'll 
do  it !  Only  you  had  better  say  nothing  to  papa.  He 
believes  in  chaperones." 

"Funny  taste  for  a  Yankee,"  said  Miss  Caldwell 
critically.  "Where  did  he  pick  that  up  ?" 

"In  Russia/''  I  replied,  building  railways.  Dad 
has  lived  in  Russia  so  long  working  on  the  Trans- 
Siberian  that  he  is  half  a  Muscovite." 

"Well,  Madame  de  Comoron  of  the  French  Lega 
tion  would  have  come  with  us  but  she  happens  to  be 
indisposed — hot  weather  and  a  jealous  husband," 
laughed  Miss  Pinkie.  "Perhaps,  who  knows,  we  may 
see  that  Japanese  officer,  the  one  you  told  me  about, 
that  black-eyed  fellow  who  was  on  those  bridge  con 
tracts  for  his  government  in  Meriden,  Connecticut, 
when  you  were  there." 

"Turn,  turn,  dark  eyes  are  no  more  interesting  to 
me.  I  have  seen  too  many  of  them  around  here 
lately,"  I  jeered. 

"Well,  if  you  have,"  said  Pinkie  inquisitorially, 
"why  are  your  cheeks  as  red  as  lotus  flowers  now? 
Are  you  in  love  with  him  ?" 

"What,  in  love  with  a  Japanese !"  I  concealed  my 
embarrassment  in  a  giggle. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  9 

"Don't  you  know,  the  Japs  are  the  coming  people/' 
remarked  Miss  Caldwell.  "Anyway,  this  afternoon 
you  will  see  something  of  them  that  will  give  you  new 
sensations." 

This  conversation  takes  place  between  Miss  Pinkie 
Farnham  Caldwell,  who  is  the  daughter  of  an  attach^ 
of  the  American  Legation  at  Tokyo,  and  myself, 
Hilda  Patience  Armstrong,  of  Meriden,  Connecticut, 
daughter  of  Peter  Milliken  Armstrong,  head  of  a 
great  bridge  building  and  railroad  constructing  firm 
of  the  same  place,  an  institution  that  has  large  con 
tracts  with  the  Russian  Government  for  the  comple 
tion  of  its  railways  in  Manchuria.  It  is  on  this  busi 
ness  that  my  father  is  on  his  way  to  Port  Arthur  now, 
having  me  in  his  charge ;  and,  en  route,  is  spending  a 
few  days  in  Tokyo,  looking  after  some  contracts  he 
also  has  with  a  native  firm  in  connection  with  a  rail 
way  in  iYezo,  also  the  furnishing  of  bridges  for  the 
Japanese  road  in  Korea.  My  father  knows  that  the 
Russians  and  Japs  hate  each  other,  but  one's  money  is 
as  good  as  the  other's — and  Dad  takes  contracts  from 
either  of  them. 

The  day  is  a  superb  one,  and  for  the  season,  not 
warm.  We  are  standing  in  my  rooms  in  the  Imperial. 
Hotel,  Tokyo,  looking  over  its  beautiful  grounds  on 
the  city's  sunny  unsidewalked  street  and  watching  the 


10  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

crowd  of  jinrikishas  carrying  the  throng  of  bare 
headed  people  to  the  great  lotus  fete  and  water  picnic 
given  during  the  mid-summer  of  1903  in  the  Japanese 
Capital. 

Miss  Pinkie  Caldwcll  is  a  dashing  American  girl  of 
about  twenty-two  and  looks  exquisitely  pretty  in  a 
diaphanous  costume  made  from  a  French  model  by  a 
Tokyo  milliner.  I  am  in  a  New  York  summer  gown. 
In  its  exquisite  gauzes  and  laces  I  am  not  afraid  to 
stand  up  beside  her  or  anyone  else. 

Pinkie  is  the  daughter  of  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  Lega 
tion  attaches,  who  has  been  kept  in  Tokyo  through 
several  American  administrations  on  account  of  his 
knowledge  of  things  Japanese.  Consequently,  Miss 
Caldwell  having  grown  up  from  extreme  youth  to 
young  ladyhood  amid  the  cherry  blossoms  and  plum 
groves  of  the  JTokiado  is  as  nearly  Japanese  as  an 
American  girl  can  be.  She  jabbers  the  language  with 
what  to  me  seems  the  fluency  of  a  native  and  knows 
the  customs  and  etiquette  of  Dai  Nippon  from  a  court 
reception  to  a  country  ramble  amid  green  rice  fields 
and  Shinto  temples.  In  addition,  she  can  do  what  we 
would  call  in  America  a  little  polite  "slumming,"  be 
ing  quite  at  home  at  entertainments  at  tea-houses  on 
the  Shimbashi  or  by  the  banks  of  the  Sumida  Eiver, 
where  she  calls  out  "Ha,  irashi!"  to  entering  geisha 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  11 

girls  at  these  events  with  what  seems  to  me  a  true 
Japanese  inflection. 

Consequently,  under  her  guidance,  my  visit  to 
Tokyo  has  been  a  very  pleasant  one,  and  now,  I  having 
remained  in  the  capital  two  weeks,  I  am  beginning  to 
think  myself  quite  at  home  in  a  kuruma  drawn  by  a 
running  coolie,  and  have  no  doubt  I  could  tramp 
around  in  Japanese  clogs  if  necessary. 

"By  the  bye,  you  have  never  told  me  the  name  of 
your  Japanese  officer,"  remarks  Miss  Pinkie  contemp 
latively.  "I  know  a  lot  of  them  here";  querying 
rather  eagerly:  "Is  he  Engineers,  General  Staff  or 
Guard?" 

"General  Staff,  I  believe." 

"Then  your  young  man  is  pretty  certain  to  be  in 
Tokyo.    But  his  name  ?" 
"I  have  forgotten  it." 

"Fibber!     You  say  he  saved  you  from  a  runaway 
automobile." 

"He  did,  with  the  ability  of  a  track  athlete  and  the 
technical  skill  of  a  racing  chauffeur,"  I  answer,  tffbut 
he  didn't  give  me  his  card." 

"Still,  Miss  Prevarication,  you  know  his  cognomen. 
Aha,  you  don't  answer !  Thinking  about  him,  eh  ?" 

Miss  Pinkie's  suggestion  is  unfortunately  true. 
Mentally  I  am  seeing  the  broad  street  just  in  front  of 


12  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

the  Meriden  Arms  Manufacturing  Company,  Con 
necticut,  on  a  hot,  dusty  summer  day  nearly  a  year 
ago.  A  maiden  arrayed  in  light  muslin  costume  is 
crossing  the  street  droopingly,  holding  a  white  ribbon- 
trimmed  sunshade  over  her  head  to  protect  her  from 
the  conquering  heat.  Suddenly  there  is  a  cry  of  hor 
ror!  I  glance  about  wondering  whether  the  shout 
heralds  a  mad  dog  on  a  rampage  or  a  coming  explosion 
in  a  neighboring  cartridge  factory.  From  under  my 
white  sunshade,  I  see  at  terrifying  speed  coming 
straight  at  me  a  touring  automobile  with  no  one  at  its 
steering  wheel,  no  one  blowing  a  warning  toot  upon  its 
horn  to  give  me  notice  to  fly  for  safety. 

Panic  stricken,  I  stand  like  a  statue  in  the  path  of 
the  coming  juggernaut.  In  a  moment  I  will  be  added 
to  the  year's  list  of  automobile  deaths. 

Like  a  flash  an  athletic  figure  clothed  in  white 
flannels  springs  from  the  sidewalk,  lands  like  a  ball 
of  rubber  in  the  middle  of  the  street  and  takes  a 
gymnastic  leap  into  the  vehicle.  Even  before  his  feet 
touch  the  automobile,  he  seizes  the  steering  wheel  and 
with  a  sudden  decisive  twist  directs  from  me  the 
whirling  death,  just  missing  me  by  an  inch.  Then  by 
deft  use  of  brakes  and  gear  and  steering  apparatus,  he 
causes  the  machine  to  take  a  wide  circle  in  the  broad 
street  and  brings  it  to  a  dead  standstill  in  front  of  a 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  13 

half  fainting  maiden,  who  now  the  danger  being  over 
emits  a  little  frightened  scream. 

Then  a  slightly  built  athletic  looking  gentleman 
takes  off  his  hat  with  military  precision  and  says  in 
the  softest  voice:  "Pardon  me,  honored  lady,  I  hope 
you  are  not  disturbed." 

I  only  look  at  him,  a  brunette  figure  of  that  unmis 
takable  set-up  that  indicates  a  professional  soldier. 
His  military  bearing  at  first  suggests  to  me  West 
Point,  but  I  have  since  discovered  it  arose  from  his 
being  in  the  Japanese  service.  My  rescuer  has  a  long 
drooping  moustache,  thin  but  imperious  lips  and  con- 
mandingly  dark  eyes. 

"Some  very  careless  idiot,  I  presume,  is  the  owner 
of  this  magnificent  piece  of  mechanism,"  he  continues, 
adding :  "The  Americans  are  a  reckless  race." 

"Yes,  this  auto  belongs,  I  believe,  to  young  Jimmy 
Doublesex,  who  has  been  educated  in  Paris  and  has 
become  half  an  idiot  under 'absinthe.  His  father  owns 
the  big  gun  factory,"  I  falter. 

Here  we  are  interrupted  by  a  boyish  voice  from  the 
tonneau,  gasping:  "Help!  Get  a  move  on!  Don't 
you  see  my  legs  sticking  up  ?  Grab  my  feet  and  pull 
me  up  over  the  seat  and  I'll  be  0.  K." 

With  one  quick  powerful  jerk,  the  military  gentle 
man  yanks  }Toung  Doublesex  out  of  the  tonneau  and 


14  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

deposits  'him  in  the  front  seat.,  where  he  sits  blinking 
at  us,  and  looking  at  his  broken  goggles,  remarks 
apologetically,  rubbing  the  dust  out  of  his  eyes :  "Yer 
see,  I  was  just  trying  my  new  Panhard,  warranted  to 
make  sixty  miles  an  hour.  Catching  the  eye  of  a 
peach  of  a  factory  girl,  who  was  looking  out  of  that 
third-floor  window,  I  stood  up  on  the  seat  to  give  her 
the  wink,  lost  my  balance  and,  before  I  knew  it,  dis 
appeared  heels  over  head  in  the  tonneau  in  the  rear. 
Do  you  think  I  need  repairing?" 

"Yes,  most  honored  sir,  in  a  lunatic  asylum,"  said 
my  rescuer  grimly,  and  stepped  out  of  the  vehicle. 
Then  lie  turned  his  attention  to  me  and  remarked 
sympathetically:  "You're  not  frightened,  I  hope, 
esteemed  young  lady?" 

"I  was  till  I  saw  you,"  I  answered  naively. 

"Well,  be  very  careful  of  yourself,"  he  remarked 
pleasantly. as  he  assisted  me  to  the  sidewalk.  "Some 
one  must  value  you — very  highly,  honored  young 
lady."  It  seemed  to  me  his  gaze,  which  was  tender, 
yet  piercing,  emphasized  his  words.  With  another 
military  salute  he  left  me,  and  I  watched  his  quick, 
nervously  precise,  military  step  carry  him  from  my 
view. 

From  this  revery  I  wake  up  with  a  sudden  start. 
Dusty  Connecticut  Meriden  fades  away  like  a  photo- 


MY,  JAPANESE  PRINCE  15 

graphic  negative  exposed  to  the  sun;  bustling,  clean- 
swept  Tokyo  With  the  picturesque  civilization  of  the 
East  is  about  me.  I  hear  Miss  Pinkie  Caldwell  sug 
gesting  a  proposition  that  makes  me  fairly  gasp. 

"Great  Heavens,,  you  don't  mean  it !"  I  exclaim. 

"Indeed  I  do !  We  can  both  make  ourselves  brun 
ette  enough.  Your  figure  will  be  perfect  in  kimono — 
as  for  mine — "  Pinkie  knows  she  is  a  sylph. 

Before  I  can  dissent  to  her  startling  plan,  a  cheer 
ful  "How  are  you,  girls  ?"  announces  the  entry  of  un 
ceremonious  Charlie  Brown. 

The  gentlemen  have  arrived. 

Baron  Serge  Schevitch  in  his  soft  Slavic  tone  is 
saying:  "Young  ladies,  I  make  my  bow,"  and  his 
Yankee  companion  is  remarking :  "I  hit  it  lucky.  I've 
struck  a  first-class  box  at  the  Kabukiza  Theatre  for 
two  yen  a  seat  and  a  first-class  boat  on  the  river,  with 
two  coolies  to  pole  it  and  one  to  steer,  a  cabin  for 
shade,  and  twenty  paper  lanterns  for  illumination 
»  purposes,  likewise  a  big  icebox  all  filled  with  refresh 
ments,  liquid  and  solid,  for " 

"Never  mind  the  price,  you  commercial  creature," 
cries  Miss  Caldwell.  "Come  on!"  Pinkie  puts  out 
a  pretty  foot,  perfectly  booted  and  delicately  hosed, 
anxious  to  start. 

"Besides,  we  have  a  carriage  which  is  more  sociable 


16  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

than  the  kurumas,"  suggests  the  Baron  as  he  escorts 
me  down  the  stairs  to  a  rather  dilapidated  looking 
equipage,  which  is  drawn  by  two  very  much  under 
sized  horses.  We  would  call  them  ponies  in  America. 

Baron  Serge  Schevitch  is  a  clean-featured,  six  foot, 
blue  pale-eyed,  sunny  moustachioed,  blond,  who,  I 
believe,  at  one  time  figured  in  the  Chevalier-Guard  in 
St.  Petersburg  and  is  now  an  honorary  attache  of  the 
Russian  Legation  at  the  Japanese  Court.  Why  he  is 
here  I  do  not  know.  He  is  not  the  military  attach^ ; 
he  is  not  the  naval  attache ;  just  what  his  mission  is, 
nobody  can  say. 

He  has  a  diplomatic  command  of  his  features  ex 
cept  when  passion  dominates  them — which  is  seldom. 
Though  I  have  noticed  that  when  near  me,  his  hab 
itual  control  of  countenance  sometimes  gives  way 
to  an  ardor  it  seems  difficult  for  him  to  repress. 

I  hope  no  one  will  think  me  conceited,  but  some 
times  in  these  memoirs  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  state 
facts  that  come  under  my  observation.  If  a  man  is  in 
love  with  me,  I  shall  state  it,  though  I  may  blush  to 
the  ears  as  I  put  it  on  paper. 

Charlie  Brown  is  a  sandy  moustached  edition  of 
Brother  Jonathan,  presenting  obtrusively  in  his  man 
ner  and  diction  the  least  attractive  and  commercial 
side  of  the  Yankee  nation.  His  ideas  condensed  are 


MY\  JAPANESE  PRINCE  17 

briefly:  "Money,  money,  MONEY!  girls,  girls,  GIRLS!" 
his  adoration  of  the  almighty  dollar  somewhat  ex 
ceeding  his  love  of  the  fair  sex;  though  judging  by 
my  own  instincts,  he  must  have  been  much  more 
fortunate  in  obtaining  the  former  than  the  latter.  He 
has  been  very  successful  in  Shanghai  as  the  managing 
man  of  the  great  American  firm  he  now  represents  in 
Tokyo,  though  he  foolishly  thinks  that  Chinese  cus 
toms  and  ideas  can  be  transferred  and  will  fit  in 
Tokyo,  something  in  which  I,  even  with  my  little 
Eastern  experience,  imagine  he  will  some  day  find  he 
is  mistaken. 

Baron  Schevitch,  the  Muscovite,  though  a  man  of 
the  world,  is  a  thorough  gentleman,  at  least  as  regards 
his  bearing  towards  me.  I  have  met  him  only  a  few 
times,  but  I  am  pleased  to  find  that  I  fall  rather  to 
his  escort  than  to  that  of  my  own  countryman,  who 
seems  to  be  entirely  devoted  to  Miss  Pinkie's  bright 
brown  eyes  that  have  a  most  attractive  lustre,  and  her 
rather  vivacious  beauty  which  has  a  tinge  of  Oriental 
witchery. 

These  reflections  are  jounced  about  in  me  as  we 
rattle  over  the  muddy  unpaved  Ginza,  or  main  street, 
pausing  only  when  our  runner,  a  half  nude  coolie  who 
prances  ahead  of  our  carriage,  signals  us  to  stop  at 
corners  in  order  that  he  can  clear  a  track  for  us  in  the 


18  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

crowd.  For  the  streets  are  full  of  people  bound  for 
the  Sumida  Gawa,  upon  which  will  take  place  the 
annual  picnic  that  during  lotus  time  is  tendered  to 
that  river  and  it  deity. 

As  we  drive  along,  the  polite  crowd  gets  out  of  our 
way  and  gazes  at  us  with  an  unaffectedly  frank  curi 
osity,  our  coachman  exchanging  elaborate  bows  with 
passing  confreres  and  kurumas;  a  carriage  is  by  no 
means  common  in  the  Tokyo  streets.  In  addition, 
Pinkie's  vivacious  gestures  and  excited  native  exclam 
ations  cause  the  onlookers  to  pause  in  their  holiday 
consumption  of  watermelon  sliced  by  numerous  ven 
dors,  and  Icori,  a  kind  of  planed  ice  flavored  with  fruit 
syrups,  somewhat  similar  to  what  are  called  snowballs 
in  New  York  confectionery  establishments. 

But  making  our  way  through  these,  I  soon  forgot 
everything  out  the  extraordinary  sensations  that  came 
to  me  at  the  Kabukiza. 

The  performance  was  half  over.  Dramatic  affairs 
quite  often  commence  very  early  in  the  morning  in 
Japan  and  last  all  day.  Though  the  Tokyo  theatres 
are  usually  closed  in  mid-summer,  this  was  an  extra 
performance,  given  probably  on  account  of  the  number 
of  visitors  that  the  lotus  festival  had  attracted  to  the 
Japanese  capital.  At  all  events,  hot  as  it  was,  the 
theatre  was  crowded. 


MYt  JAPANESE  PRINCE  19 

Having  our  tickets  secured,  we  were  not  delayed  at 
the  entrance  nor  compelled  to  go  to  some  neighboring 
tea  house  for  cards  of  admission.  Fortunately  also 
we  chanced  to  arrive  between  acts,  as  it  is  not  in  this 
polite  country 'customary  to  disturb  the  audience  by 
entering  or  going  out  during  anything  but  intermis 
sions.  Mr.  Brown  had  taken  for  our  accommodation 
one  of  those  square  compartments  something  like 
church  pews  that  the  Japs  call  boxes.  It  is  in  the 
fashionable  part  of  the  house  and  between  the  liana- 
michi  and  the  galleries. 

With  a  suppressed  giggle  Miss  Pinkie  getting  on 
her  knees  as  if  a  native  girl,  directs  me  to  assume  the 
usual  squatting  position  on  some  soft  cushions.  I  do 
so  and  gaze  about.  The  two  big  balconies  and  the 
whole  pit  are  occupied  by  an  unusually  brilliant  audi 
ence  drawn  by  a  great  performance;  for  the  most 
celebrated  actor  of  his  day,  Kikiguro,  the  worthy  suc 
cessor  to  the  late  Ichikawa  Danjuro,  the  Salvini  of 
Japan,  is  in  the  bill. 

Of  this  wonderful  artist's  performance,  which 
moved  me  both  to  tears  and  to  laughter,  his  facial  ex 
pression  being  so  remarkable  that  I  could  follow  ac 
curately  his  emotions  during  each  scene,  I  have  little 
to  say;  likewise  of  the  curious  revolving  stage,  grace 
ful  scenery  and  brilliant  lighting  as  well  as  the  ac- 


20  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

curately  gorgeous  costumes  of  Old  Japan  displayed  in 
the  only  place  that  they  can  now  be  viewed,  the  na 
tional  theatre. 

These  greatly  interested  me  for  a  time;  also  the 
processions  along  the  two  gangways  called  the  liana- 
michi  or  flower  paths,  because  from  these  places  the 
successful  actors  received  the  congratulations  of  the 
audience.  These  ran  from  each  side  of  the  stage  to 
the  other  end  of  the  hall  and  from  there,  between  acts, 
male  attendants  distributed  tea  and  cakes  and  other 
refreshments  to,  the  audience,  some  of  the  spectators 
taking  their  lunch  unceremoniously  on  the  stage  when 
the  curtain  was  down,  almost  every  man  and  woman 
smoking  a  small  silver  pipe  till  a  haze  of  smoke  rose 
up  to  make  the  scene  misty. 

In  deference  to  the  river  fireworks  the  performance 
was  to  be  a  short  one — a  four-act  tragedy — and  a  little 
comedy — two  acts  of  the  first  piece  were  already  fin 
ished. 

Then  an  entr'acte  curtain  impressed  me  exceed 
ingly.  The  whole  drapery  was  inscribed  elaborately 
in  Japanese  characters.  Gazing  upon  them,  I  con 
ceived  these  must  be  inscriptions  taken  from  the 
dramatic  poets  of  ancient  Dai  Nippon,  but  as  I  looked 
I  gave  a  gasp  of  astonishment.  I  plainly  distin- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  21 

guished  in  English  letters  "Kirin  Beer"  and  "Pear's 
Soap." 

"You  seem  impressed  with  the  drop  rag,"  grinned 
Charlie  Brown. 

"Yes,  I — i  can't  understand,"  I  returned,  "how 
Pear's  Soap  and  Kirin  Beer  got  into  the  ancient  liter 
ature  of  this  topsy-turvy  Eastern  empire." 

"Ancient  literature !"  giggled  Pinkie.  "Don't  you 
know  the  Japs  are  ahead  of  the  world  on  advertising  ? 
Those  inscriptions  on  that  curtain  are  well  paid  for 
placards  recommending  everything  from  a  jinrikisha 
to  a  popular  tea  house.  Pear's  Soap  and  Kirin  Beer, 
of  course,  get  in  their  showing.  At  the  smaller 
theatres,  I've  seen  ads  of  Sapolio  and  Hunter  Eye 
Whiskey  and  Ripans." 

"Oh,  how  this  destroys  the  romance  of  the  place," 
I  said. 

"Not  a  bit,"  dissented  Miss  Caldwell.  "Wait  till 
the  curtain  goes  up  again  and  you'll  forget  all  about 
it.  They've  got  a  fire  effect  in  the  next  act  that  beats 
anything  I  ever  saw  in  the  United  States." 

This  I  find  is  true.  No  such  extraordinarily  vivid 
scenic  representation  of  conflagration  ever  impressed 
me  in  a  theatre  before. 

So  the  performance  went  on.  But  of  a  sudden 
everything  was  obliterated  from  my  mind  and  I  had 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

eyes  only  for  one  being  on  the  stage.  It  was  the  fourth 
and  last  act  of  the  tragedy.  An  actor  who  played  a 
somewhat  minor  role,  that  of  the  ghost  of  a  noble 
Daimio  family,  was  coming  on  the  stage. 

To  appropriately  herald  the  supernatural,  the  per 
former  on  the  bass  drum  was  beating  a  solo  that  would 
have  made  Wagner  think  himself  in  a  mixture  of 
Walhalla  and  Mount  Vesuvius.  The  audience  was 
looking  sadly  and  sympathetically  upon  this  spirit- 
relic  of  the  past,  strutting  about  in  the  curious  trailing 
antique  trousers  that  gave  the  ghost  the  appearance 
of  walking  on  his  knees,  but  I  with  eyes  starting  al 
most  out  of  my  head  saw  before  me  the  thin,  ex 
pressive,  dominant  lips,  the  firmly  chiseled  almost 
Grecian  nose,  the  strong,  dark,  romantic  eyes,  the  very 
being  that  had  rescued  me  from  automobile  death  in 
Meriden,  Connecticut. 

Then  his  voice  smote  my  ear.  But,  oh,  that  was 
not  the  same.  It  was  at  times  a  squeaking,  creaking, 
high  falsetto,  then  a  portentious  basso,  but  always  in 
that  horrible,  peculiar  rasping  monotone  of  a  Japa 
nese  actor  when  he  thinks  he  has  a  great  opportunity. 
It  made  me  squirm  upon  my  cushions,  but  still  my 
eyes  followed  this  bombastic  footlight  relic  of  the 
past,  and  once  when  he  dropped  into  a  colloquial  tone 
for  comedy  effect—ghosts  are  comedians  as  well  as 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  23 

tragedians  on  the  Japanese  stage— it  was  the  same 
voice  that  had  said  in  far  away  Connecticut:  "Some 
one  must  value  you— very  highly,  honored  young 

lady." 

"Who  is  it?"  I  whispered  under  my  breath. 
"Oh,  that's  a  second  rate  actor  called  Kamu  Ki- 
guro,"  remarked  Mr.  Brown,  consulting  what  they  call 
a  playbill  in  Japan. 

"Why,"  I  falter,  "he  looks  like— 
"Not  like  himself,  you  can  bet,"  whispers  Charlie. 
"That's  a  wonderful  make-up.  He  is  representing 
some  old  daimio  swell  for  this  ghost  business.  In  the 
next  comedy  he  is  down  for  a  woman,  and  you  can 
bet  he  will  be  a  Japanese  geisha  to  the  life.  Off  the 
stage  Kamu  Kiguro  is  as  happy  a  faced  little  fellow 
as  plays  a  bad  game  of  American  poker  in  Japan.  His 
face  probably  now  represents  one  of  the  Sendai  family. 
He  never  gets  tired  of  telling  how  his  ancestors  were 
samurai  retainers  of  that  great  daimio  house  in  the 
days  of  the  Shogunate." 

The  name  strikes  me  with  an  electric  shock.  It  is 
the  name  I  know,  that  of  the  gentleman  who  rescued 
me,  Captain  Okashi  Sendai. 

"Why,  you  seem  interested  in  the  ghost,"  whispers 
Hiss  Caldwell  in  her  lowest  voice. 

"Sendai— I  know  one  or  two  of  the  Sendai,"  ob- 


24  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

serves  Baron  Schevitch.    "Tell  you  about  them  after 
the  performance,  if  you  like." 

With  this  information  I  am  compelled  to  be  content 
until  after  we  leave  the  theatre.  For  chatter  in  a 
Tokyo  auditorium  is  frowned  clown  upon  much  more 
strongly  than  in  a  Xew  York  opera  house ;  though  the 
ghost  looks  so  much  like  my  Connecticut  savior  that 
when  he  is  on  the  stage,  I  devour  him  with  my  eyes, 
and,  thinking  of  him,  after  the  curtain  has  fallen  on 
the  tragedy,  pay  little  attention  to  some  pretty  danc 
ing  Japanese  girls. 

We  do  not  wait  for  the  comedy  as  we  are  anxious 
to  go  to  the  river,  Mr.  Brown  suggesting  it  will  be 
about  time  for  the  fireworks  to  begin. 

"Fireworks  in  the  daytime?'-'  I  ejaculate,  as  we 
emerge  from  the  theatre.  "It  is  not  yet  dusk  I" 

"That  is  the  time  this  topsy-turvy  nation  gets  in 
some  of  its  greatest  pyrotechnic  effects,"  laughs  the 
Russian  Baron  as  he  assists  me  into  the  carriage. 
":NTow  the  Sendai  family,"  I  say  eagerly. 
"Tell  you  about  them,  Miss  Armstrong,  when  we 
reach  the  quiet  of  the  river,"  remarks  my  escort;  for 
even  Japanese  crowds,  at  times,  become  noisy  and 
some  display  towards  the  Sumida  Gawa  has  excited   ' 
their  outcries. 
Quite  shortly,  by  the  aid  of  our  runner  who  acted  as 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  25 

guide,  we  succeeded  in  reaching  the  boat  Mr.  Brown 
had  engaged  for  us,  which  was  lying  in  a  moat  or 
canal  awaiting  us.  This  bark,,  in  appearance  not  so 
unlike  a  sawed-off  and  very  clumsy  Venetian  gondola, 
was  exceedingly  clean  from  stem  to  stern,  and  had  a 
very  comfortable  house  or  cabin  upon  it  that  would 
keep  us  from  the  last  of  the  sun's  rays.  It  was 
manned  by  two  half  nude  coolies  to  pole  it  in  the  river 
and  steered  by  another  boatman  who  managed  a  big 
oar  at  the  stern. 

"We  have  everything  here  not  only  for  comfort  and 
convenience,  but  also  a  regular  water  picnic,"  re 
marked  Mr.  Brown,  jumping  Miss  Pinkie  over  its 
gunwale  and  waving  his  hand  towards  an  attendant 
who  was  setting  out  quite  a  sumptuous  repast  in  the 
cabin  for  us. 

"Besides,  my  maid,  Nana  San,  is  here/'  laughed 
Miss  Caldwell,  "with  everything  we  want."  There 
was  a  suggestive  strain  in  Pinkie's  voice  that  recalled 
her  proposition  to  me  and  made  me  giggle  nervously 
as  the  maid  gave  salutation  to  her  mistress. 

But  neither  Pinkie  nor  I  cared  to  eat  just  at  the 
moment.  We  preferred  to  look.  We  were  being  poled 
down  a  rather  narrow  canal  which  had  formerly  been 
one  of  the  old  moats  of  the  city;  in  places  its  sluggish 
waters  were  full  of  pink  lotus  flowers.  Passing  rather 


26  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

commonplace  warehouses  and  some  rickety  looking 
Venetian  stairways  that  led  up  through  high  walls 
from  the  water  to  the  streets,  which  were  connected 
by  bridges,  we  approached  the  river.  Here  the 
loungers  became  more  numerous  and  more  excited  and 
the  scene  more  that  of  festivity. 

Five  minutes  after,  we  enter  the  river  itself.  Upon 
its  waters  are  a  jam  of  boats,  at  times  so  crowded  to 
gether  that  an  active  man  can  pass  from  one  bank  of 
the  Sumida,  here  some  three  hundred  yards  wide,  to 
the  other  dry  shod,  jumping  from  barge  to  barge. 

These  boats,  some  of  them  large,  some  with  even 
two  story  cabins,  are  all  crowded  by  the  Japanese— in 
families,  in  groups,  in  masses — one  carrying  half  a 
dozen  officers  in  full  uniform  is  close  beside  us. 

Through  this  mass  we  gradually  are  poled  towards 
the  place  of  fireworks — daytime  fireworks.  I  am 
about  to  ask  the  Baron  as  to  the  Sendai;  but  suddenly 
Pinkie  gives  a  scream  of  admiration.  A  rocket  goes 
up,  and  as  it  explodes  in  the  clear  blue  air  a  flock  of 
pigeons  seem  to  spring  from  it  and  wing  their  way 
through  the  sunlight.  The  next  displays  a  dragon 
in  aerial  flight,  swishing  his  tail  and  smoke  coming 
from  his  eyes.  Then  up  goes  another  rocket  and  a 
great  bird  released  by  the  explosion  flaps  its  wings 
and  flies  off  into  the  clear  blue  ether.  After 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  27 

this  come  smoke  clouds  and  other  wondrous  effects. 

Then  we  all  grow  hungry  and  indulge  in  a  picnic 
repast  washed  down  by  iced  champagne.  As  we 
finish,  and  the  gentlemen  light  their  cigars,  night  de 
scends,  the  river  becomes  a  swaying  sea  of  lanterns, 
not  only  upon  its  own  liquid  surface,  but  both  its 
banks,  some  of  the  tea-houses  perched  high  for  view 
and  breeze  being  literally  covered  with  gorgeous  hued 
things  whose  many  bright  colors  seem  to  make  this 
soft  summer  night  a  kind  of  Venetian  fete. 

Upon  a  big  barge  next  to  us  is  a  band  playing,  not 
only  Japanese  music,  but  every  ragtime  tune  invented 
in  the  United  States. 

Then  high  up  over  the  lanterns  are  more  bursting 
rockets,  some  of  them  exceedingly  fine,  breaking  into 
great  bunches  of  various  colored  flaming  ribbons  that 
seem  to  float  about  in  the  air,  and  weeping  willows  of 
\nolten  gold  with  red  flowers. 

The  pyrotechnic  display  growing  less  vivid  and 
Miss  Caldwell  and  Mr.  Brown  being  engaged  in  a 
tete-a-tete  conversation  near  the  bow  of  the  boat,  I  say 
eagerly  to  the  Baron  who  is  smoking  a  cigar  and 
lounging  not  far  from  me  at  the  stern:  "Now  tell 
me  about  the  Sendai." 

•     "Oh,  the  Sendai  family  is  quite  a  celebrated  one  in 
Dai  Nippon.    In  former  times  it  was  connected  with 


28  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

that  of  the  Shogiin.  Its  members  even  now  are 
among  the  highest  nobles  in  Japan,  what  you  Ameri 
cans  would  call  ^howling  swells.'  I  know  one  or  two 
of  them  here." 

"Any  of  them  officers  in  the  army  ?"  I  ask,  eagerly. 

"Yes,  I  have  found  them  very  pleasant  fellows 
to  meet,  though,  of  course,  I  am  socially  handicapped 
here,  being  one  of  the  nation  that  the  Japanese  like 
least." 

"Do  you  know  one  on  the  General  Staff?"  I  query, 
striving  to  keep  undue  interest  out  of  my  tone. 

Schevitch  is  about  to  reply  to  me  when  he  is  inter 
rupted  by  shouts,  laughter  and  screams  from  neigh 
boring  lantern-lighted  boats.  This  commotion  com 
mences  at  the  river  bank  and  gradually  rolls  towards 
us  spreading  from  barge  to  barge,  which  in  this  por 
tion  of  the  waterway  are  crowded  quite  closely  to 
gether,  most  of  them  being  only  a  few  feet  apart. 

"Good  heavens,  is  it  an  accident,  or  a  thug  escaping 
from  a  policeman?"  I  exclaim,  as  the  commotion  ap 
proaches  us  rapidly. 

"No,  I  think  not,"  says  the  Baron.  "You  notice 
it  is  excited  laughter  rather  than  dismay." 

"Well,  whatever  it  is,"  I  answer,  "it  is  coming  this 
way." 

For  the  yelling  has  now  reached  the  barge  next  to 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  29 

us  and  upon  its  deck  has  alighted  what  seems  to  me 
in  the  imperfect  illumination  a  bounding  orang 
outang.  The  marvelous  agility  of  the  creature  is 
monkey-like.  Tripping  over  the  steersman's  oar  on 
the  neighboring  boat,  the  flying  figure  would  fall  up- 
<on  his  face,  did  he  not  with  wondrous  activity  and 
address  seize  one  of  the  long  poles  used  to  propel  the 
barge,  and  driving  it  into  the  water  to  the  bottom  of 
the  river,  use  it  as  a  vaulting  instrument  and  take  a 
flying  leap  onto  the  deck  of  our  boat  right  in  front 
of  me. 

Here,  to  my  half-frightened  scream  the  new  visitor 
takes  off  his  hat  politely  and  bowing  to  the  deck,  says 
in  very  good  English:  "August  pardon  deign,  es 
teemed  lady.  Don't  disturb  your  honorable  tran 
quillity.  1  am  not  a  fugitive  criminal,  I  am  merely 
winning  a  wager  that  I  made  with  a  fellow  actor  that 
I  would  cross  the  river  dry  shod  by  leaping  from  boat 
to  boat.  It  is  not  a  difficult  feat  for  a  man  whose 
profession  forces  him  at  times  to  be  acrobatic  as  well 
as  dramatic. 

"Soyanara"  he  continues  pompously,  with  a  deck 
touching  bow,  "I  shall  be  on  the  other  bank  in  three 
minutes." 

This  grandiloquent  address  is  rendered  by  an  ath 
letic,  swallow-tail-coated  Japanese  with  a  high  stove 


30  1/p;  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

pipe  hat,  much  ruffled  and  brushed  the  wrong  way. 
He  is  about  to  spring  from  our  boat  into  the  barge 
beyond  when  Charlie  Brown,  who  has  started  up 
from  Miss  Pinkie's  side,  suddenly  cries:  "Wait  a 
second !  Ain't  you  Kamu  Kiguro,  the  actor  ?" 

"I  am  known  as  such  in  Tokyo/'  is  the  reply,  "and 
this  is  Mr.  Brown,  the  American  trader." 

"Then  here's  a  young  lady  with  whom  you  made  a 
mash  to-day  at  the  theatre  as  the  ghost,"  laughs 
Charlie,  "she  wants  to  see  you." 

Mr.  Brown's  easy  suggestion  brings  a  rather 
haughty  blush  upon  my  face  as  I  gaze  upon  the  Thes 
pian,  who  remarks:  "I  am  always  pleased  to  make  a 
hit  with  my  audience  and  do  the  wishes  of  the  ladies, 
"but— my  wager!"  continuing  apologetically:  "You 
will  excuse  me;  five  yen  are  awaiting-  me  on  the  other 
side." 

"I  will  pay  the  five  yen/'  cries  Charlie  Brown.  "In 
fact,  I  will  give  you  ten  yen  if  you  stay  and  entertain 
us." 

"I  beg  your  honored  pardon,"  our  visitor  draws 
himself  up  stiff  as  a  bronze  statue,  "'I  am  an  actor  of 
the  theatre,  not  a  travelling  mountebank." 

"Of  course,  I  understand  that  thoroughly,"  re 
marks  Brown.  "These  young  ladies  also  appreciate 
it." 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  t  31 

Kiguro  bows  to  both  Pinkie  and  myself,  drawing  in 
his  breath  with  that  peculiar  respiration  that  indi 
cates  in  Dai  Nippon  the  highest  reverence. 

Then  Pinkie  addresses  him  in  Japanese  and  the 
sound  of  his  own  tongue  from  an  American  young 
lady  pleases  the  pride  of  the  native  professional 
gentleman. 

"The  greatest  actors  in  the  United  States  some 
times  condescend  to  amuse  and  entertain  people  out 
side  of  the  walls  of  their  playhouses/'  explains  Miss 
Caldwell. 

"Yes,  I  have  read  of  that.  Irving,  the  great  Eng 
lish  mimic,  appeared  before  the  King  at  Windsor 
Castle."  Kiguro' s  tone  is  mollified.  "You  say  the 
young  lady  became  interested  in  my  performance  of 
the  ghost,  one  of  my  minor  roles.  I  lose  the  wager. 
I  don't  accept  your  pay,  Mr.  Brown,  but  to  the  Ameri 
can  young  lady  I  make  the  sliintaniro." 

Words  cannot  express  the  haughty  dignity  with 
which  Ivamu  Kiguro  makes  obeisance  to  me;  then 
squats  at  my  feet,  and  gazes  up  in  my  face. 

In  the  lantern  light,  Mr.  Kiguro  is  a  very  different 
looking  person  to  the  aristocratic  ghost  he  had  por 
trayed  at  the  theatre.  His  face  is  not  now  very  much 
like  that  of  my  Connecticut  savior,  though  his  height 


32  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

is  about  the  same  and  his  figure  is  perhaps  something 
similar. 

"You  wish  to  hear  of  the  theatre  in  Japan,  its  rise 
from  the  dunghill  to  the  acme  of  the  Mikado's  favor  ?" 
he  remarks,  bowing  to  the  deck  as  he  mentions  the 
Imperial  name. 

"Yes,  I  am  told/'  I  say,  "that  since  His  Majesty 
has  witnessed  the  performance  of  the  late  great  Dan- 
juro,  your  profession  has  become " 

"More  than  reputable,"  interjects  the  comedian, 
"exalted !  Only  thirty  years  ago,  actors  in  the  cen 
sus  were  classed  and  numbered  as  the  beasts  of  the 
field ;  now  we  have  become  not  only  as  other  men,  but 
above  most  of  them.  ..Otherwise  I  of  the  samurai 
class  would  never  have  trod  the  boards.  You  see  I  use 
American  stage  terms  for  the  esteemed  young  lady's 
benefit.  I  picked  them  up  from  an  honored  Yankee 
dramatic  agent  who  wished  a  few  years  ago  to  engage 
the  great  Danjuro  for  an  American  tour." 

"Yes,  and  you  use  perfect  English,"  I  say. 

"English?  I  am  familiar  with  French,  likewise 
German  and  Chinese,"  rejoins  Kiguro,  with  that 
modesty  which  is  as  much  a  part  of  his  profession  in 
Japan  as  in  the  United  States.  "Besides,  I  sing.  In 
addition,  I  dance.  Likewise,  I  do  acrobatic  feats  at 
times,  fence  with  two  swords  after  the  ancient  method 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  33 

and  play  women's  roles  as  well.  They  say  I  am 
beautiful  as  a  cherry  tree  in  women's  parts."  Then 
turning  his  eyes  on  me,  he  asks :  "But  why  did  I  in 
terest  you  so  intensely  when  I  played  the  ghost?  I 
have  not  much  opportunity  in  it.  A  ghost  cannot 
die,  and  death  scenes  are  my  strong  point.  I  have 
taken  half  an  hour  to  die  by  poison  upon  the  stage. 
It  is  most  unfortunate  to  play  the  ghost." 

"But  in  that  role  your  face  was  made  up  to  repre 
sent  a  living  man  ?"  I  ask  eagerly. 

"One  of  the  grand  Sendai,"  returns  Kamu  Kiguro, 
"the  great  Daimio  family  to  which  my  fathers 
were  samurai  and  I  still  hold  allegiance,  the  ancient 
house  that  I  love.  When  I  am  to  be  an  aristocratic 
ghost,  I  become  the  most  aristocratic  spirit  possible. 
I  transform  myself  to  an  image  of  the  highest  nobil 
ity,  and  I  can  make  myself  a  likeness  of  anything— 
dragons,  dwarfs,  genii,  gnomes,  kami,  spirits,  geisha 
girls — anything!  I  am  an  actor." 

As  I  listen  to  him,  I  know  he  is  an  actor.  I  have 
met  one  or  two  Thespians  in  the  United  States  and  am 
satisfied  Mr.  Kiguro  is  cf  the  profession.  "Yes,  I 
have  heard  something  of  the  Sendai  family,"  I  re 
mark.  "I  am  interested  somewhat  in  them.  Can  you 
tell  me  something  of  them?" 

"Something  of  them  ?    I  know  their  annals  for  two 


34  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

thousand  years.  You  have  seen  the  great  canal  run 
ning  through  a  portion  of  the  city — that  was  dug  by 
Prince  Sendai  in  old  times,"  says  Kiguro  proudly. 

"What,  with  his  own  hands  I"  I  scream,  thinking  of 
the  extraordinary  labor  necessary  for  such  a  gigantic 
public  work.  "That  must  have  been  in  the  mythical 
days." 

"Oh,  no;  it  is  a  reality.  But  not  with  his  own 
hands.  The  great  Sendai  touched  the  sword,  not  the 
spade.  I  will  tell  you  about  the  grand  Prince  Sendai. 
It  is  like  a  Lotus  romance  in  these  grovelling  days 
when  men  love  money  more  than  they  do  pleasure. 
In  the  old  days  when  the  Shogun  was  the  power,  be 
fore  modern  reforms  had  destroyed  the  race  of  the 
two  swords,  Prince  Sendai  had  the  honor  of  being  the 
most  glorious  spendthrift  the  world  has  ever  seen, 
His  steady  order  at  a  tea-house  was  'The  best  in  the 
world  and  all  there  is  of  it  P  " 

"Saint  Vladimir,  that's  a  glorious  command!" 
cries  the  Russian  Baron.  "Let  me  remember  it;  it 
will  make  a  hit  in  the  cafes  of  St.  Petersburg.  The 
best  in  the  world  and  all  there  is  of  it  P  " 

"By  Jove !"  laughs  Brown,  "when  I  get  back  to 
New  York  that  shall  be  my  cry  at  the  Waldorf-As 
toria;  that  will  make  me  famous." 

"Or  bankrupt!"  observes  Miss  Pinkie  severely. 


JAPANESE  PRINCE  35 


"Do  his  descendants  give  such  orders  now?"  I 
ask,  rather  horrified  at  the  immensity  of  such  ex 
travagance. 

"No;  there  is  no  man  in  the  world  but  one,  about 
whom  I  have  heard  Americans  talk,  who  dare  give 
such  an  order  to-day,  and  that's  the  celebrated  coal- 
oil  baron,  Eockyman.  You  see  I  know  a  good  deal 
about  your  country,"  observes  Kiguro  complaisantly 
to  me. 

"Yes,  and  Eockyman  won't  do  it,"  giggles  Pinkie. 
"Mush  and  milk  is  his  limit,  I  am  told." 

"Though  they  say  he  would  pay  high  for  a  stom 
ach,"  jeers  Mr.  Brown. 

"Well,  in  those  ancient  days  the  Japanese  nobles 
were  rich,"  continues  Kiguro  earnestly.  "A  great 
Daimio  had  an  income  of  sometimes  two  hundred 
thousand  koku.  Now  if  he  has  twenty  thousand  he 
is  lucky." 

"But  about  the  canal  ?"  I  ask. 

"Oh  yes,  Sendai's  canal.  The  Prince  Sendai  got 
to  —  what  you  Americans  call  —  burning  his  money. 
One  evening  he  hired  the  Yoshiwara,  locked  up  the 
whole  district,  because  Sendai  wished  to  love.  What 
are  you  blinking  at  me  for,  Mr.  Brown  ?  You  know 
the  Yoshiwara;  I've  seen  you  there." 

"Oh  nothing,  only  we  don't  talk  about  these  things 


36  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

in  the  presence  of  ladies  in  America/7  mutters 
Charlie,  biting  his  cigar  savagely. 

"Well,  this  and  some  other  extravagances  such  as 
having  five  hundred  geisha  perform  the  'No'  dance 
every  time  he  drank  sake  caused  the  government  to 
turn  its  eyes  upon  Sendai,77  says  the  Thespian.  "So 
the  Shogun  said  if  Sendai  wishes  to  hurn  up  his 
money  he  had  better  burn  it  to  some  advantage  to 
the  government.  Therefore  he  ordered  the  prince 
to  dig  a  moat  around  the  highest  hill  in  Yeddo,  upon 
which  stood  the  Shogun's  palace.  It  took  several 
thousand  men  several  years  to  dig  this  ditch  and  is 
appropriately  known  as  'Sendai's  Sorrow/  It  cost 
so  much  money,  they  say  Sendai  filled  it  with  his 
tears/7 

"But  is  that  all  Sendai  was  celebrated  for?'7  I  ask. 

"Oh  no,  if  he  was  a  spendthrift,  he  was  also  a  war 
rior.  Sendai  could  take  off  an  enemy7s  head  with  a 
single  sword  stroke  like  I  do  on  the  stage.  Come 
when  the  regular  season  opens  and  see  me  fight  at  the 
Kabukiza.  Fifty  sword  wounds  shall  not  kill  me 
till  I  perform  my  sword  feat.  My  fighting  is  not  my 
least  accomplishment.77  The  modest  actor  bows  before 
me. 

"But  the  present  members  of  the  family?77  I  ask, 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  37 

the  modern  Sendai  being  more  in  my  mind  than  the 
ancient  spendthrift. 

"Ah  yes;  the  prince — the  old  prince  is  retired  to 
his  estates  and  now  lives  near  Kioto ;  but  his  son,  the 
captain—" 

"Ah  yes,  the  captain/''  I  whisper. 

"Captain  Okashi  Sendai  of  the  General  Staff,  the 
expert  engineer,  the  great  bridge  builder,  the  pro 
found  mathematician,  he  who  is  even  in  modern  de 
mocracy  the  most  aristocratic  representative  of  one  of 
the  great  houses  of  Japan,  the  man  to  whom  I  bow 
and  say :  Trince  and  master,  here  is  thy  samurai  for 
life  or  for  death  as  it  pleases  thee  to  order.' ':  Love 
and  reverence  have  flown  into  the  comedian's  eyes 
and  have  changed  him  into  a  jeune  premier.  He 
would  make  his  hit  as  a  lover  on  the  American  stage. 
Such  adoration,  such  devotion,  such  romantic  emotion 
I  have  never  seen  in  the  human  face  before. 

Kiguro's  expressive  countenance  becomes  noble  in 
its  generous  fealty;  his  dark  eyes  glow  with  the  ardor 
of  self-sacrifice,  if  necessary,  for  this  being  whom  he 
seems  to  adore  with  that  kind  of  tribal  worship  that 
existed  in  the  mediaeval  days  of  Scotland,  when  the 
humblest  gillie  in  the  clan  thought  the  best  use  to 
which  he  could  put  his  life  was  to  give  it  up  gallantly 
and  unasked  for  his  beloved  chief. 


38  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"You  love  Captain  Sendai?"  I  ask. 

"Love  him!  The  blood  of  my  ancestors  has  adored 
the  blood  of  his  ancestors  for  a  thousand  years;  and 
His  Highness  has  condescended  to  say  to  Kiguro: 
Tight  as  well  on  the  field  of  battle  as  you  do  upon  the 
stage  of  the  theatre,  and  you  will  be  as  good  as  your 
ancestor,  the  sword  maker  of  Ozaka.'  Some  day  per 
haps  I  will  show  the  young  Prince — " 

"The  Prince  !"  I  ejaculate. 

"Certainly,  though  he  drops  his  titles  for  his  mili 
tary  rank.  My  lord  and  master  is  a  peculiar  gentle 
man.  He  says  captain  is  his  rank  in  the  army  and 
captain  he  will  be  until  he  becomes  a  major." 

"He  was  once  in  America?"  I  interrupt  eagerly. 

"Captain  Okashi  Sendai  has  been  half  a  dozen 
times  across  the  ocean/'  remarks  Kiguro  proudly. 
"He  was  educated  partly  at  Harvard,  also  in  the  Ox 
ford  and  the  Heidelberg.  Once  I  had  the  honor  of 
accompanying  His  Highness  to  America.  There  to 
study  the  foreign  playhouse,  I  took  a  juggling  engage 
ment  at  Koster  and  BiaFs." 

Noting  a  look  of  amazement  on  my  face,  Mr.  Kiguro 
contemplatively  picks  up  half  a  dozen  oranges  that 
are  lying  on  the  table  of  the  cabin  and  abstractedly 
does  such  "stunts"  with  them  that  I  gaze  at  him  open 
mouthed ;  finishing  his  performance  by  catching  four 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  39 

in  his  left  hand,  one  in  his  mouth,  and,  suddenly  be 
coming  erect,  permits  the  last  flying  orange  to  lodge 
upon  the  top  of  his  head.  "In  addition  I"  He  picks 
up  the  very  thin,  straight  rattan  cane  of  the  Russian 
Baron  and  suddenly  swallows  nearly  thirty  inches  of 
it.  "Shall  I  change  this  into  a  snake  ?"  he  says  after 
he  disgorges  it. 

"Oh,  don't !"  I  scream. 
"I  couldn't/'  he  laughs  merrily. 
"Besides!"    He  throws  the  six  oranges  again  inio 
the  air  and  flings  after  them  five  table  forks,  trans 
fixing  them  in  mid-career ;  then  with  another  fork  in 
his  mouth,  after  an  extraordinary  contortion,  catches 
the  last  descending  orange  spitted  upon  it. 

"Bravo!"  cries  Brown,  who  with  Miss  Pinkie, 
greets  this  peculiar  exhibition  with  a  salvo  of  Ameri 
can  hand  claps. 

"Such  acrobatics  should  make  you  thirsty,"  laughs 
Schevitch. 

"It  does,  honored  Baron,  but  I  will  only  take  a  cup 
of  sake.    Nothing  more.    No  refreshments,  especially 
no   American   whiskey,    Mr.    Brown.      That   always 
makes  me  light  headed."    Drinking  a  cup  of  the  na 
tional  beverage,  Kiguro  remarks:    "Honored  ladies, 
once  more  sayonara.    I  will  yet  win  my  wager,  though 
the  boats  are  getting  further  apart," 


40  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

After  a  low  bow  to  everyone  of  us,  he  plunges  the 
pole  he  had  brought  on  board  with  him  into  the 
river  and  bounds  like  a  flying  fish  from  one  barge  to 
another,  the  screams  and  excitement  of  his  sudden 
nautical  appearances  and  disappearances  on  the  vari 
ous  boats  dying  away  towards  the  other  bank  of  the 
Sumida. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  him  ?"  laughs  Charlie 
Brown. 

"Ah,  Mademoiselle  Armstrong  is  not  thinking  of 
the  comedian,"  remarks  Baron  Schevitch  acutely. 
"She  is  thinking  of  the  Prince." 

"Cracky,  I  believe  you've  struck  it!  She's  blush 
ing!"  guffaws  Brown. 

While  Pinkie,  clapping  her  hands,  whispers  rogu 
ishly  in  my  red  ear:    "Was  it  Prince  Sendai  who 
saved  you  from  the  automobile  ?" 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    TEA-HOUSE   BY    THE    SUMIBA. 

I 

My  curiosity  as  to  the  Sendai  family  seems  to  have 
a  curious  effect  upOE  the  Baron.  Don't  think  that 
I  am  a  vain  girl,  but  I  cannot  help  noting  events. 
The  Baron  grows  moody.  Mr.  Brown  and  Miss  Cald- 
well  have  wandered  nearer  the  bow  of  the  boat  again. 
Some  few  words  that  young  lady  is  saying  seem  to 
make  Charlie  exceedingly  mirthful.  Good  heavens, 
is  she  suggesting  to  him  her  automobile  suspicions  ? 

Whether  she  is  or  not,  the  Baron  begins  to  ques 
tion  me  in  a  rather  anxious  manner.  "Why  do  you, 
Miss  Armstrong,  take  such  an  interest  in  this  Japan 
ese  family?"  he  affects  to  laugh. 

"Because  I  am  going  to  write  a  book  on  Japan,"  I 
answer,  flippantly. 

"Ah,  your  interest  is  only  a  literary  one,"  he  ob 
serves.  "Then  why  were  you  so  eager  to  discover  if 
Captain  Okashi  Sendai  had  ever  been  in  the  United 
States?" 

"Because  if  he  has,  he  has  probably  heard  of  my 
father  as  a  great  bridge  builder  and  Dad  can  perhaps 

41 


42  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

get  a  contract  for  some  of  the  railway  structures  here. 
Captain  Sendai  apparently  from  the  comedian's  re 
marks,  is  connected  with  that  branch  of  semi-military, 
semi-civil  construction  in  Japan.  You  see,  I  am  a 
Yankee,  therefore  business  to  the  finger  tips,"  I  re 
join  glibly. 

With  this  answer  Serge  Schevitch,  stroking  his 
long  blond  moustache  reflectively,  is  compelled  to  be 
satisfied. 

"You  know  Captain  Prince  Sendai?"  I  inquire. 

"Yes,  I  know  him  as  I  know  other  officers  here, 
though  not  so  well  as  some  of  them,"  answers  the 
Baron.  To  this  he  adds,  surlily:  "Captain  Okashi 
Sendai  won't  interest  a  girl  like  you.  He  is  a  student 
as  well  as  a  soldier." 

"I  am  told,"  I  remark,  maliciously,  "that  to  be  a 
true  soldier  now  it  is  necessary  to  be  a  student,  some 
thing  you  Russian  officers,  I  imagine,  at  times  for 
get  in  the  delights  of  social  life." 

"Oh,  if  you  mean  that  we  will  ever  suffer  should  it 
come  to  an  armed  dispute  between  us  and  the  Japs," 
sneers  the  Baron,  "you  will  find  that  six  feet  men  can 
whip  five  feet  monkeys.  But  by  Saint  Vladimir,  this 
nation  of  fireworks,  geisha  girls  and  jugglers  will 
never  be  mad  enough  to  dare  confront  the  Colossus 
not  only  of  Asia  but  of  Europe." 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  43 

"Pretty  good  fireworks/'  I  jeer,  pointing  to  a  beau 
tiful  exploding  rocket.  "Very  charming  geisha  girls/' 
I  laugh,  and  direct  my  gaze  to  a  large  nearby  barge 
upon  whose  deck  a  number  of  dark  eyed  brunettes 
are  dancing  to  music  of  their  samisens  whose  strings 
are  twanging  merrily.  "Not  bad  jugglers/'  I  look  at 
the  spitted  oranges  left  lying  upon  our  deck  by  Ki- 
guro. 

To  this  the  Baron  says  generously :  "You're  right ! 
What  the  Japs  do,  they  do  well.  Did  you  ever  see  a 
more  beautiful  fete?"  and  seats  himself  quite  close 
beside  me. 

The  scene  is  even  more  attractive  at  night  than  by 
day.  I  agree  with  my  escort  that  it  is  a  very  lovely 
eight. 

The  fireworks  having  subsided,  supper  appears 
everywhere.  Our  own  boatmen  are  taking  their  sake 
and  cooked  beans  at  the  extreme  bow  of  the  boat. 
Pleasant  meals  are  in  progress  on  nearly  all  the 
barges,  some  quite  elaborate,  some  served  European 
style,  others  in  the  Japanese  manner.  Music  is  om 
nipresent,  from  the  big  brass  band  to  the  sharp  voiced 
samisens  and  kotos,  the  Japanese  banjo  and  harp; 
even  in  a  small  row-boat  a  bronze  figure  is  beating  a 
drum.  Since  darkness  has  come  upon  us,  the  whole 
river,  banks  and  waterway,  seems  a  glow  of  light  from 


44  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

myriads  of  lanterns,  some  of  the  overhanging  tea 
houses  being  covered  with  thousands  of  paper  moons. 

The  scene  is  romantic;  apparently  the  Baron  be 
comes  romantic  too.  After  the  manner  of  European 
suitors,  he  commences  to  whisper  soft,  flowery  and 
exceedingly  exaggerated  compliments  into  my  blush 
ing  ear.  These  after  the  manner  of  the  chippy 
American  girl,  I  adroitly  turn  to  nothings. 

Then,  with  some  remarks  on  the  dazzling  rings  that 
adorn  my  fingers,  he  tries  to  take  my  hand.  This 
means  a  good  deal  more  from  a  Russian  than  from  an 
American ;  so  I  deftly  keep  my  fingers  from  his  grasp. 

From  near  the  bow  of  our  barge  I  think  I  hear 
Miss  Caldwell  whisper:  "Charlie,  behave  yourself!" 

Something  must  be  done  or  the  Baron  will  make 
love  to  me,  which  I  don't  want  him  to  do.  A  one 
sided  romance  always  destroys  friendship,  and  the 
Baron  isn't  a  bad  fellow.  I  am  about  to  raise  my 
voice  and  cry  to  Pinkie  that  we  had  better  be  going  to 
the  hotel,  when  Pinkie  calls  to  me :  "Mr.  Brown  has 
just  seen  in  that  tea-house/'  she  points  to  one  near 
which  we  are  drifting,  "some  Yokohama  friends." 
Then  she  springs  up  and  exclaims:  "There's  Billy 
Benson,  now,  of  the  Oriental  Bank.  See,  he's  beckon 
ing  to  you,  Charlie !" 

In  proof  of  this,  Benson's  voice,  a  full,  round,  Eng- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  45 

lish  one,  rings  out  from  the  Rising  Sun  tea-house  bal 
cony  :  "I  say,  Brown,  just  run  up  here  a  minute.  Fve 
got  a  message  for  you  from  a  girl  in  Yokohama." 

"Let  it  wait!"  shouts  Brown  in  embarrassed  an 
swer. 

"But  the  girl  in  Yokohama  can't  wait/'  laughs 
Pinkie.  "Besides,  there's  young  Astrakan,  one  of 
your  Legation  confreres,  Baron  Schevitch.  Monsieur 
Astrakan!"  she  calls  vivaciously,  "Monsieur  Sche 
vitch  has  a  message  for  you  from  me.  Baron,  please 
run  up  and  give  him  my  communication ;  I  can't  call 
it  out  for  everybody  to  hear."  She  whispers  a  few 
sentences  into  Serge's  ear. 

"Oh  certainly,  Miss  Caldwell!"  answers  Schevitch 
with  the  external  politeness  well  bred  foreigners  all 
have. 

"Now  both  of  you  gentlemen  get  on  shore,"  urges 
Pinkie.  At  her  signal,  our  boat  has  been  poled  close 
to  the  steps  that  lead  up  to  the  tea-house.  "You  can 
stay  and  have  a  drink  of  champagne  with  your  friends 
before  you  return  to  us,"  Miss  Caldwell  suggests. 

"Hi,  come  up  the  steps,  lazy  Brown!"  cries  Ben 
son.  "We've  got  a  bottle  waiting  on  ice  for  you." 

Thus  compelled,  the  two  gentlemen  say  they  won't 
be  more  than  a  few  minutes,  step  on  shore  and  run 
up  the  stairs. 


46  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Then  suddenly  Pinkie  turns  to  me  and  whispers 
to  my  astounded  ears :  "Now's  our  time ;  now  we  do 
the  lightning  change  act  into  geisha  girls." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  you  intend  seriously  to  at 
tempt  that  wild,  crazy  freak  you  shocked  me  by  sug 
gesting  at  the  hotel  this  afternoon/'  I  remark  in  se 
vere  tone, 

"Don't  I !    And  you've  got  to  do  it,  too !" 

"What!"  I  ejaculate,  "become  a  geisha  for  this 
evening  ?  How  dare  you !" 

"Why,  you  needn't  look  at  me  as  if  I  were  making 
some  very  horrible  proposition,"  laughs  Pinkie. 
"Aren't  you  Japanese  enough  to  be  aware  that  a 
Tokyo  geisha  is  quite  often  a  very  respectable  member 
of  society.  I  know  some  foreigners  have  the  absurd 
idea  that  they  are  of  the  demi-monde.  That  is  not  so. 
In  Treaty-Ports  geisha  girls  are  quite  often  associated 
with  yoshiwara  joros,  sometimes  probably  correctly 
when  they  play  the  infamous  game  of  fChon  Kino' 
for  the  benefit  of  drunken,  sailors.  But  here,  she  is 
simply  a  girl  who  can  dance,  sing,  play  on  musical  in 
struments  and  tell  the  latest  stories  and  jokes  as  she 
passes  sake  and  refreshments  about  and  makes  herself 
generally  agreeable  at  entertainments  given  by  Japan 
ese.  A  good  many  of  them  live  with  their  own  fami 
lies,  though  some  are  indentured  to  the  people  who 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  47 

educate  them  for  their  profession ;  that  is,  teach  them 
to  play  the  Jcoto  and  samisen,  to  sing,  dance  and  relate 
the  brightest  jokes,  the  most  interesting  tales  and 
wittiest  and  most  up-to-date  Ion,  mots  current  in 
Japan.  Of  course,  rumor  has  it  that  for  certain  sums 
of  money,  the  indenture  papers  of  the  most  charm 
ing  geishas  have  at  times  passed  from  their  direct 
employers  to  the  hands  of  gentlemen  of  the  nobility, 
who  are  willing  to  pay  great  prices  for  fascinating 
beauty,  though  many  of  the  geishas  marry,  and  marry 
well  and  respectably.  In  a  word,  a  geisha  may  be 
virtuous  as  a  Diana,  though  perhaps  some  of  them 
are  not  quite  so  straight-laced.  However,  I  think  that 
the  attendance  of  a  Japanese  fashionable  tea-house, 
geishas  thrown  in,  would  average  much  better  in 
morality  than  many  a  first  class  New  York  oyster 
house.  You  yourself  have  been  in  Hector's  or  Shan- 
ley's — I  believe  that's  what  you  call  them — haven't 
you?"  She  looks  at  me  searchingly. 

"Yes,  once,  in  company  with  a  large  theatre  party," 
I  mutter  apologetically. 

"Well,  this  geisha  trick  will  be  the  very  acme  of 
fun,  if  you  dare  to  do  it.  I  have  everything  pre 
pared.  Nana  San!"  Pinkie  calls  and  claps  her 
hands. 


48  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Hai,  Mistress !"  answers  tlie  maid  and  stands  be 
fore  her. 

"If  I  know  Benson,  our  cavaliers  won't  get  away 
from  his  hospitality  and  champagne  for  some  con 
siderable  time.  Now  we'll  slip  into  our  kimonos" 
Miss  Caldwell  says  hurriedly.  "My  maid  has  two  first 
class  geisha  costumes  and  the  necessary  paints  and 
cosmetics  to  make  us  look  with  our  hair  drawn  back 
and  our  eye-brows  well  blackened  and  straightened 
quite  Japanese  in  appearance !  So  into  the  cabin  with 
you!"  Pinkie  gigglingly  pushes  me  into  the  illumi 
nated  deck  house  and  draws  its  paper  screens. 

Half  laughing,  half  protesting,  I  let  Miss  Caldwell 
and  her  maid  have  their  way  with  me.  Five  minutes 
after  I  give  a  slightly  affrighted  shudder  as  I  gaze 
upon  myself  in  a  little  mirror,  transformed  into  a 
maiden  of  Dai  Nippon.  My  hair,  which  is  ordinarily 
brown,  has  been  drawn  back  from  my  forehead  till 
my  eyes  seem  to  start  out  of  my  head;  my  coiffure, 
usually  Pompadour,  having  been  plastered  down  by  a 
black  cosmetic  and  skewered  up  Japanese  way.  My 
eye-brows  have  been  straightened  and  darkened,  my 
cheeks  brillantly  rouged  and  my  form  is  displayed  in 
a  clinging  kimono  of  exquisite  silk,  which  is  girded  at 
the  waist  by  a  broad  sash  and  tied  behind  my  back 
in  an  immense  square  yet  bulging  knot. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  49 

"Mercy,  don't  your  white  arms  look  enticing  as 
they  glide  out  of  the  big  sleeves ;  never  you  wear  corset 
again,  Hilda!"  whispers  Pinkie  in  exaggerated  com 
pliment  into  my  ear.  "You're  too  fetching  in  kimono. 
Probably  you  will  have  some  trouble  with  those  flat 
slippers  that  you  cannot  keep  on  your  pretty  feet. 
Now  turn  your  toes  in  and  give  yourself  the  shufflng 
gait  of  the  Japanese  article/'  she  laughs  as  I  essay  a 
pigeontoed  walk. 

Then  as  Miss  Pinkie  begins  her  own  transforma 
tion,  I  again  dissent :  "Murder !  What  a  row  Dad  will 
kick  up  when  he  hears  of  this  wild  prank/' 

"Don't  let  Dad  hear !   I'm  not  going  to  tell  him." 
"Besides,  it's  nonsense.    How  am  I  going  to  speak 
Japanese?"  I  falter. 

"Why,  Silly,  you  don't  suppose  I  mean  for  us  to 
leave  this  boat.  Of  course,  to  be  geishas  to  a  Japan 
ese  crowd  would  mean  instant  discovery.  But  on  our 
own  barge  here  for  Baron  Serge  Schevitch  and  Mr. 
Charlie  Brown,  it  will  be  what  in  American  slang 
you  call  a  'lead  pipe  cinch.'  Jabber  any  choctaw  to 
Charlie  Brown  and  he  will  think  it  Xihonese,  though 
he  pretends  to  know  something  about  the  East.  As 
for  the  Baron,  he  has  such  a  haughty  contempt  for 
this  country  of  the  Rising  Sun  which  he  thinks  as 
pires  to  be  the  rival  of  'All  the  Eussias'  that  I  don't 


50  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

believe  he  lias  taken  the  trouble  to  learn  a  single 
native  phrase.  In  addition,  a  good  many  geishas  talk 
a  little  English  now.  Such  phrases  as  'Goodie  bye/ 
'Thanka  you'  and  'I  lobe  you/  with  a  Japanese  in 
flexion  will  sound  very  fetching  and  not  at  all  sus 
picious  from  your  red  lips.  Just  let  me  give  them  a 
touch  of  vermilion." 

"Oh,  I  could  never  say  the  last/'  I  mutter  diffi 
dently. 

"Pish,  geishas  are  not  too  bashful !"  laughs  Pinkie. 
"Play  your  part  up  to  the  handle." 

By  this  time  Miss  Caldwell  has  become  Japanese. 
Apparently  she  has  done  this  trick  before  in  her  life; 
from  under  her  maid's  hands  she  steps  out  to  my  eyes 
a  veritable  geisha  maiden  and  looking  pretty  as  a 
plum  blossom. 

"Permit  me  to  return  your  words/'  I  say.  "You 
should  never  wear  anything  but  a  kimono.  You  have 
the  loveliest  white  arms,  the  plumpest  rounded  neck ; 
you  have — 

"Stop  your  compliments/'  laughs  Pinkie.  "'Tell 
me  if  I've  Japanese  eye-brows." 

"You  have/'  I  say,  "also  cherry  lips/'and  am  about 
to  kiss  her,  but  she  stops  me,  saying:  "Geisha  girls 
never  kiss;  they  never  hold  hands  either.  You  are  to 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  51 

be  called  'One  Thousand  Joys/  and  I  shall  answer  to 
'OHaru/  the  Jap  for  Spring  Time." 

"Here's  my  card,  with  'Gone  home — you  stayed  in 
the  tea-house  too  long.  P.  Caldwell/  "  For  the  mys 
tification  of  our  escorts  Pinkie  places  the  missive  on 
the  cabin  table. 

"Oh,  it  will  be  such  fun  I"  She  claps  her  hands. 
Then  a  rather  curious  blushing  look  comes  into  her 
Japanese  face  as  she  laughs :  "I  wonder  how  our  cav 
aliers  will  treat  us  when  they  suppose  us  geisha?" 

"Yes,  I  wonder  how  they  will,"  I  say  suspiciously. 
"Mr.  Brown  has  lived  in  Treaty  Ports  and  probably 
regards  the  geisha  from  a  Treaty  Port  standpoint." 

"Nevertheless,  if  you  are  in  for  an  original  adven 
ture,  here  it  is  at  your  hand,"  urges  Miss  Pinkie. 
"Besides,  by  it  we  will  probably  find  out  what  those 
gentlemen  really  think  of  us.  I  imagine  Charlie 
Brown  believes  me  very  too-too,  and  as  for  the  Baron, 
I  have  seen  him  look  at  you — " 

"Never  mind  how  you  have  seen  him  look  at  me," 
I  say  savagely,  "I  don't  care  how  he  looks." 

"Oh  yes,  I  forgot,"  jeers  Miss  C'aldwell,  "You  are 
interested  in  a  Japanese  automobile  expert." 

"No,  I  am  not !"  I  answer. 

"But  if  we  are  to  be  geisha  we  must  get  to  business 
before  the  gentlemen  return."  Pinkie  draws  the 


52  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

paper  screens  from  about  the  cabin,  and  her  maid 
producing  a  koto,  a  flat  Japanese  harp-like  instru 
ment,  places  it  on  the  cabin  roof. 

"Hurry,  Hilda,  climb  up  after  it,  now!"  com 
mands  my  companion,  taking  from  Nana's  hand  a 
samisen. 

"Oh  mercy,"  I  exclaim  as  we  clamber  onto  the 
cabin  roof,  "I've  lost  a  slipper !" 

"Shucks,  clinch  your  toes  in  it,  as  I  do,"  suggests 
Pinkie,  as  she  shoves  the  heelless  sandal  again  upon 
my  foot.  "Now  let's  get  to  work !" 

"But  I  don't  know  how  to  play  this,"  I  mutter,  gaz 
ing  at  the  l-oio. 

"Well,  of  course,  you  can't  play  it,  but  you  can  play 
at  it !  Accompany  me,  strike  these  chords,  see !  You 
know  enough  about  general  music  to  understand." 

I  have  had  a  few  lessons  on  this  curious  instrument 
and  can  do  as  she  directs. 

"Xow  I'll  attend  to  the  rest,"  whispers  Miss  Cald- 
well.  "Jupiter,  won't  Charlie  Brown  and  the  Baron 
be  astonished  when  they  hear  native  music,  look  out 
of  the  windows  of  the  tea-house  and  see  geisha  girls 
upon  the  cabin  of  their  boat.  What  do  you  think  of 
this  for  a  Jap  melody  ?"  Pinkie  bursts  into  a  native 
stanza,  the  chorus  of  which,  carelessly  translated, 
being : 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  53 

"The  dream  of  a  sinner 
"Waiting  for  dinner, 
"Is  sake!  sake!   sake! 

Singing  the  Japanese  words  in  the  sweet  plaintive 
manner  that  is  common  to  the  country  and  emphasiz 
ing  the  accompaniment  on  her  samisen  with  some 
of  those  curious  glissandos  peculiar  to  native  music, 
Pinkie  seems  quite  Japanese. 

In  this  I  aid  her  as  best  I  can  upon  the  koto; 
though  there  is  no  response  from  the  neighboring 
tea-house  except  the  popping  of  some  champagne 
corks  that  floats  over  the  noise  from  its  open  windows. 

We  keep  our  music  up  until  Pinkie  impatiently 
whispers  to  me :  "The  wretches  in  there  think  more 
of  champagne  than  they  do  of  us." 

"They  are  thinking  of  jackpots,  too/'  I  remark, 
viciously.  "I  heard  Benson's  voice  calling,  'Go  you 
ten  better/  " 

"Then  they  are  good  for  some  time,"  mutters 
Pinkie.  "Benson  is  the  most  inveterate  poker-player 
in  Yokohama." 

During  this  time  our  coolies  have  crawled  to  the 
bow  and  gone  contently  to  sleep.  Most  of  the  boats 
have  drifted  from  us  as  the  band  on  the  big  barge 
some  little  distance  down  the  stream  has  struck  up  a 


54  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Sousa  march,,  and  the  concourse  of  loiterers  upon  the 
bank  have  sauntered  nearer  to  it,  but  those  between  us 
and  the  tea-house,  though  they  have  grown  less  nu 
merous,  are  more  boisterous.  Even  mild  sake  seems 
to  have  made  some  little  progress  upon  Japanese 
heads. 

"Will  those  wanderers  never  come !"  whispers 
Pinkie. 

At  her  suggestion,  we  both  commence  to  jabber,  I, 
a  weird  lingo  of  my  own,  Miss  Caldwell  in  her  best 
Japanese.  She  tells  me  that  she  is  crying :  "Honored, 
honored  gentlemen,  look  about  you  if  you  would  see 
pretty  girls  who  can  amuse  you." 

A  moment  after  there  are  sounds  of  real  drunken 
ness  along  the  river  bank  from  foreigners,  judging  by 
the  German  and  English  exclamations  and  oaths  that 
gradually  draw  near. 

"Xothing  to  worry  about,"  remarks  my  companion 
unconcernedly  to  me.  "This  is  an  orderly  nation. 
The  only  disorder  in  it  comes  from  drunken  foreign 
ers, 'and  here  is  an  intoxicated  jack-tar  crowd  from 
Yokohama  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  gazing  at  us." 

"Try  and  make  our  escorts  hear  and  come  back  in  a 
hurry  !"  I  suggest  nervously. 

Actuated  by  this  idea,  my  companion  bursts  into  an 
other  Japanese  song  with  great  emphasis. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  55 

Pinkie's  voice  is  too  attractive,  for  a  moment  after 
Miss  Caldwell  screams:  "Oh  good  lordy!"  as  three 
men,  apparently  sailors,  stagger  down  the  steps  to  the 
landing  and  jump  aboard  our  barge. 

"They  must  be  drunk  or  they'd  never  dare  to  do 
that!"  whispers  Pinkie  dismayed,  gazing  about  for 
help,  for  the  river  is  partly  deserted  now  and  there 
are  no  boats  very  near  us. 

The  actions  and  voices  of  our  captors  proclaim  the 
accuracy  of  Miss  CaldwelPs  divination.  "Blow  my 
eyes/'  stammers  one,  mixing  his  speech  with  drunken 
gutterals,  "if  these  two  black-eyed  lassies  ain't  better 
lookers  than  the  Yokohama  and  Shanghai  fairies,  I'll 
never  drink  rum  ag'in,  Dutch  Sam !" 

"Verdamt,  der  one  mit  der  banjo  is  mein  liebsclie!" 
answers  the  German  sailor  man. 

"Here,  stop!  stop!  get  ashore!"  I  cry  to  them 
savagely,  thinking  to  impress  them  with  my  English. 

But  this  only  seems  to  add  to  my  attractions. 
"Bully !"  cries  the  other  man,  staggering  towards  the 
cabin.  "Here's  a  Jap  girl  whose  lingo  I  can  get  onto. 
She  chirps  as  dandy  English  as  Portsmouth  Sal, 
Hong  Kong  way.  Come  down  into  the  cabin,  Pretty, 
and  we'll  play  'CTion  Kino/  " 

"Wretch,  don't  you  dare!"  whispers  Pinkie  shud- 
deringly;  then  gives  a  little  smothered,  plaintive 


56  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

scream  as  she  is  unceremoniously  grabbed  by  her  ankle 
and  yanked  from  the  top  of  the  cabin  to  the  deck. 

Before  I  can  utter  a  cry,  someone  has  seized  me 
and  pulled  me  into  the  cabin  also.  Three  foetid 
breaths,  suffused  with  rum,  turn  me  almost  sick  as 
a  jack-tar  they  call  Bed-Headed  Bill  dressed  in  store 
clothes  for  this  Tokyo  spree,  glares  into  my  face  in 
ferocious  jocularity  and  says,  laughingly :  "No  non 
sense !  no  airs!  Here's  your  samisen!"  clapping  the 
square-drum  banjo  into  the  dismayed  Pinkie's  hand. 
Then  he  holds  up  a  brawny,  hairy  arm,  tatooed  with 
anchors  from  wrist  to  elbow,  and  commands  in  savage 
good  humor :  "Now  you  sing  while  we  do  the  Treaty- 
Port  'Chon  Kino'  forfeit  game.  Everyone  that  loses, 
gal  or  lad,  takes  off  sail  at  each  forfeit,  and  when  I 
cry  'Game's  up !'  the  one  that's  got  the  least  rigging 
on  and  shows  the  most  skin  wins  five  Chinese  dol 
lars  \" 

"You  miserable  drunken  wretch !"  cries  Miss  Cald- 
well,  and  viciously  smashes  the  samisen  over  the  fel 
low's  head,  while  I  raise  up  my  voice  and  shriek: 
"Help !  aid !" 

"Du  list  Japanese  Jcatze  spitting!"  cries  Dutch 
Sam,  pursuing  Pinkie  as  she  springs  from  the  cabin, 
flies  along  the  deck,  jumps  on  to  the  landing  place 
and  dashes  wildly  up  the  steps  towards  the  tea-house. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  57 

Frantically  I  dart  after  her,  Red-Headed  Bill  stag 
gering  drunkenly  in  my  wake,  snarling:  "Bloomin' 
geishas,  putting  on  airs  when  I  want  to  shove  money 
into  yer  pockets !" 

His  tatooed  arms  would  close  about  me,  but  just  at 
this  moment  Miss  Caldwell's  Japanese  maid,  who  has 
been  aroused  by  the  commotion,  screams  from  the 
bow  of  our  boat:  (( Junsa!  junsa!" 

Then,  as  our  persecutors  reach  the  bank,  three  or 
four  athletic  little  policemen  dart  upon  them  and 
subdue  and  bind  them  helpless  in  jiu  jitsu  fashion, 
murmuring  politely:  "  Okino  doku  sama!"  which,  I 
believe  means  "Sorry  to  do  you  up,  august  gentle 
men."  In  a  moment  Dutch  Sam  and  Red-Headed 
Bill  are  as  inert  as  bales  of  goods. 

Noting  this  from  the  security  of  the  tea-house  en 
trance,  in  which  I  have  taken  refuge,  I  would  return 
to  our  boat,  but  Miss  CaldwelFs  hand  is  upon  my  arm. 
Panting  from  fright  and  exertion,  she  is  whispering : 
"Not  yet !  There  would  be  police  inquiry ;  our  names 
would  get  into  the  papers,  and  then — 

I  answer  this  by  a  sickly  shudder.  I  know  my  Dad 
would  make  an  awful  row  if  this  escapade  ever  came 
to  his  ears. 

"We  must  get  to  our  escorts  now,"  whispers  Pinkie, 
for  quite  a  crowd  has  gathered  about  our  barge  and 


58  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

the  landing  steps.  With  this  she  leads  me  into  the 
doors  of  the  Rising  Sun  Tea-House,  one  of  the  biggest 
and  most  fashionable  in  Tokyo;  from  its  open  win 
dows  floats  the  hum  of  many  merry  parties. 

Just  at  this  moment  a  matronly  looking  Japanese 
woman,  coming  from  the  interior  of  the  house,  author 
itatively  taps  Pinkie  on  the  shoulder  with  her  fan 
and  says  something  in  Japanese.  To  this  Miss  Cald- 
well  makes  humble  salaam,  and  I  follow  her  lead  with 
a  native  bending  of  the  back. 

Then  my  companion  says  what  she  afterward  ex 
plains  to  me  is  the  Japanese  for  "American  Poker 
Party,"  and  the  woman  apparently  understanding, 
leads  us  up  the  lacquered  stairway  and  along  a  pass 
age  on  the  great  second  floor. 

The  babble  of  girls'  voices  in  soft  Yedo  dialect  is 
about  us,  for  no  male  waiters  ever  do  duty  in  a  Japa 
nese  tea-house.  The  paper  lanterns  shed  a  subdued 
light  on  lacquered  floors  and  unsubstantial,  decorated, 
screen-like  walls.  The  thumbing  of  kotos  and  sami- 
scns  and  the  strains  of  singing  geishas  tell  of  festival 
where  the  yellow  sake  flows,  though  champagne  and 
other  wines  are  for  European  customers  as  well. 

All  the  time  I  am  angry  enough  to  box  Pinkie's 
ears  for  getting  me  into  such  a  scrape. 

The  noise  of  the  merry-making  parties  about  us, 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  59 

screened  off  in  their  various  rooms  by  paper  parti 
tions,  is  monotonously  impressive,  but  gives  us  a 
curious  retirement.  Where  everybody  can  hear,  no 
body  apparently  wants  to  listen;  though  I  think  I 
distinguish  Charlie  Brown's  voice,  muffled  by  many 
paper  screens,  saying:  "Just  another  hot  before  we 
go !"  But  the  sound  is  so  confused  by  other  voices  I 
can't  tell  exactly  where  it  comes  from.  Leading  us 
into  a  small  ante-room  connected  with  a  larger  apart 
ment,  the  Japanese  woman  points  with  her  fan  to  a 
soft  bamboo  mat ;  and  Pinkie  squatting  upon  it  on  her 
knees,  I  do  likewise.  Then  the  woman  says  some 
words  that  make  Miss  CaldwelPs  eyes  roll  under  her 
elongated  eyebrows,  and  retires,  drawing  the  sliding 
door. 

"I  fear  the  fool  woman  has  made  a  mistake/'  Pinkie 
whispers  hurriedly ;  '"but  she  said  we  were  expected." 
"Certainly,  but  how  could  we  be  expected  ?"  I  ask 
anxiously. 

"Oh,  easy  enough.  There  are  half  a  hundred  thou 
sand  geishas  in  Tokyo,  and  your  struggles  to  keep 
your  feet  in  your  slippers  made  you  turn  in  your  toes 
quite  like  a  native." 

Pinkie  goes  to  the  sliding  door  which  has  been 
drawn  upon  us,  tries  to  shove  it  open,  and  whispers : 
"Mercy,  this  is  curious.  Locks  are  scarce  in  this 


GO  MY  JAPANESE  PRIXCE 

country  but  the  woman  seems  to  have  slipped  the 
wooden  bar  outside  upon  us."  Then  listening  to 
some  Japanese  exclamations  in  men's  voices  from  the 
next  room,  she  emits  a  shuddering  giggle  and  mut 
ters  :  "We  are  in  for  it !" 

"What  do  you  mean  ?•' 

"Why  the  Japanese  that  I  hear  from  that  room 
tells  me  that  those  Daimios  and  nobles  in  there  are 
playing  poker  and  we  are  being  gambled  for/' 

"Horror !"  I  gasp.    "Let  us  get  out  !" 

"No,  no,  stop !  Have  some  sense !"  whispers  my 
mentor  desperately.  "A  commotion  now  will  surely 
make  us  the  gossip  of  Tokyo.  Japanese  are  always 
gentlemen.  When  they  discover  their  mistake,  they 
will  be  exceedingly  polite;  not  like  those  drunken 
brutes  of  sailors  out  there.  Besides,  we  must  keep 
this  out  of  the  newspapers.  Tokyo  as  well  as  Ameri 
can  journals  print  racy  articles." 

"Oh,  if  father  hears !"  I  shiver ;  the  tears  coming 
quite  close  to  my  eyes  as  I  think  of  the  particular 
Cain  the  Honorable  Peter  Milliken  Armstrong  of  the 
Meriden  Bridge-Building  Company,  member  of  the 
New  Haven  Legislature,  will  raise,  if  he  knows  his 
daughter  is  in  any  such  horrible  escapade  as  this  in  a 
Japanese  tea-house !  Then  I  whisper  with  lips  that 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  61 

would  be  pale  but  for  the  vermilion  on  them :  "What 
are  they  saying  ?" 

"Wait,"  says  my  companion,  and  sinks  down  in 
abject  attitude  upon  the  mat.  "Do  the  same;  be  a 
geisha  for  a  minute/'  she  entreats.  "The  woman's 
got  us  to  the  wrong  room." 

I  prostrate  myself  beside  her. 

Then  Pinkie  opens  the  sliding  door  a  little  and 
we  peep  cautiously  into  the  room  next  to  us. 

Four  Japanese  swells  are  seated  having  a  game  of 
American  poker.  This  is  easily  apparent  without 
their  words  by  the  piles  of  chips  in  front  of  them 
and  the  manner  in  which  their  hands  are  discarded 
and  drawn  to.  They  are  refreshing  themselves  oc 
casionally  by  warm  sake  presented  by  attendant 
maidens. 

Two  of  them  are  dressed  in  elaborate  European 
swallow-tail  suits.  Another  is  arrayed  in  a  gaudy 
old-fashioned  Daimio  costume  such  as  I  saw  it  at  the 
theatre,  minus  the  two  swords.  The  last,  whose  face 
I  cannot  see  as  his  back  is  towards  me,  is  in  the 
uniform  of  the  Japanese  Army. 

As  I  gaze,  the  woman  who  has  brought  us  into  the 
tea-house,  enters  the  room  and,  with  elaborate  bending 
of  the  body,  says  to  the  Daimio  some  low  words  and 
then  retires. 


C2  J/r  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

As  the  cards  pass  about,  one  of  the  swallow-tail 
coated  gentlemen  and  the  Daimio  smoke  silver  pipes, 
Japanese  style.  The  other  in  European  dress  con 
sumes  at  least  a  cigarette  a  minute,  while  the  officer 
puffs  coolly  and  leisurely  a  big  Havana  cigar. 

The  play  is  apparently  high. 

Pinkie  whispers  to  me  excitedly:  "The  officer  has 
raised  the  ante  five  hundred  yen  and  the  other,  the 
Daimio  fellow,  has  said :  'I'm  cleaned  out,  but  I  go 
the  identuro  papers  of  the  girls  kneeling  upon  that 
mat  in  there,  those  upon  whom  you  have  put  your 
eyes  with  longing,  honored  Captain.' " 

"Merciful  heavens,  they  are  gambling  for  us !  This 
is  worse  than  Canfield's!"  I  shudder,  growing  red 
with  shame  and  cold  with  embarrassed  dismay,  my 
feet  shaking  until  they  nearly  throw  off  my  loose 
slippers. 

Of  a  sudden  Pinkie's  eyes  grow  lurid  under  the 
lantern  light.  She  clinches  her  fists  as  three  of  the 
gamesters  burst  into  a  merry  laugh. 

"What  new  horror  is  it  ?"  I  gasp. 

"Only  that— that  swallow-tailed  wretch  opposite  to 
us  has  proposed  as  it  is  table  stakes,  we  be  placed  upon 
the  table  among  the  other  chips.  Don't  be  a  fool  and 
try  to  kick  out  that  door !"  Miss  Caldwell  seizes  my 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  63 

hand  as  the  cool,  incisive  voice  of  the  Japanese  officer 
rings  throughout  the  apartment. 

"What  is  he  saying  ?"  I  whisper. 

"Oh,  the  Japanese  military  man  is  remarking  that 
it  is  humiliation  enough  for  the  girls  to  be  wagered 
without  being  exposed;  that  the  winner  only  should 
look  upon  them." 

Pinkie  pulls  me  onto  the  mat  on  my  knees  beside 
her,  and  we  gaze  upon  the  show-down,  which  produces 
great  excitement. 

Miss  Caldwell  whispers :  "The  Daimio  with  an  oath 
is  saying  he  has  got  a  busted  flush ;  the  dress-coated 
man  with  threes  has  thrown  his  cards  on  the  table ; 
the  other  is  confidently  exhibiting  a  full  house,  and 
the  fourth,  the  officer,  is  saying:  Trince  Satuncza, 
you  don't  play  poker  mathematically.  A  busted  flush 
is  filled  only  once  in  two  hundred  and  eighty  odd 
times,  and  I  drew  but  one  card.  I  had  these  pretty 
typewriters  pat/  he  adds  with  a  laugh  as  he  calmly 
lays  down  four  queens.  Then  they  are  all  demanding 
to  play  another  round,  but  the  Japanese  military  man 
declines.  He  says  he's  won  us  girls;  that's  what  he 
wanted  I"  mutters  Pinkie,  clenching  her  fists  in  rage. 

"The  miserable  voluptuary !"  I  whisper,  gazing  at 
the  successful  gamester  who,  despite  his  uniform, 


64  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

seems  almost  effeminately  vicious  as  in  careless  atti 
tude  he  puffs  at  his  big  cigar. 

A  moment  later  even  the  stout-hearted  Pinkie  be 
gins  to  tremble  as  she  explains:  "The  Daimio  fellow 
is  saying:  'My  stakes  are  in  the  ante-chamber  await 
ing  you,  honored  Captain';  and  the  Captain  is  sug 
gesting  with  many  courteous  words :  'Leave  me,  hon 
ored  gentlemen,  with  my  winnings.'  r 

"Xow  we  will  confront  the  monster !"  mutters  Miss 
Caldwell  desperately.  "Tie  dare  not  do  anything  or 
say  anything  very  disagreeable.  Probably  the  real 
geishas  will  arrive  in  a  minute." 

The  three  losing  gamblers  have  departed.  The 
Captain  whispers  something  to  the  woman,  who  rapid 
ly  withdraws.  Suddenly  my  eyes  bulge  in  my  head, 
for  as  the  Japanese  officer  claps  his  hands,  to  him 
enters  Kamu  Kiguro,  the  actor,  and  bending  down 
draws  in  his  breath  with  such  humble  yet  hissing 
respirations  that  they  make  me  start.  In  his  flashing 
eyes  are  reverence,  fealty  and  love  beyond  description. 
He  would  put  his  head  upon  the  lacquered  floor,  but 
the  officer  stops  him  and  savs  as  Miss  Caldwell  in 
terprets:  "Xo,  Kiguro,  not  that  feudal  salutation  of 
old  Nippon ;  though  I  know  you  in  your  heart  have  it 
for  me,  my  samurai." 

The  other  breaks  forth  in  flowing  Japanese,  and 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  65 

Pinkie  says :  "Good  heavens,  he  is  thanking  him  for 
having  won  you  for  him,  and  the  officer  is  saying: 
'Prince  Satuneza  wouldn't  give  up  the  indentures  of 
the  girl  you  wish  to  marry,  but  I  played  him  to  the 
last  yen  he  had  in  his  pocket,  and  then  he  was  willing 
to  wager  hoth  his  geishas.  So  the  girl  is  yours  to 
marry,  Kiguro,  and  the  other  one  also,  if  you  want 
her/  " 

"lye,  lye,  my  honored  master,  I  only  love  The 
Thousand  Joys.  She's  the  wittiest  girl  in  all  Japan/' 

"The  Thousand  Joys !  How  has  he  got  my  name  ?" 
I  falter  to  Pinkie. 

"Oh,  that's  easily  accounted  for/'  answers  my 
mentor.  "Half  a  hundred  geishas  in  this  town  are 
called  The  Thousand  Joys." 

Then  the  actor  breaks  forth,  so  Miss  Caldwell  ex 
plains  :  "For  this,  Master  and  Prince,  when  you  wish 
it,  my  life's  blood."  Looking  out  I  can  see  Kiguro's 
head  touches  the  lacquered  floor. 

"Better  live  for  me  than  die  for  me,  my  worthy 
retainer,"  remarks  the  officer. 

To  this  Kiguro  makes  some  grand  sounding  speech, 
which  Pinkie  doesn't  translate. 

"What  is  he  saying  ?"  I  ask  eagerly. 

"Oh,"  mutters  my  interpreter,  "the  Japs  are  such 
a  free  speaking  people.  Kiguro  is  promising  that  there 


G6  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

shall  be  no  race  suicide  in  his  family ;  that  The  Thou 
sand  Joys  shall  bear  ten  boys  to  fight  the  Kussians. 
And  the  other  has  answered  him :  'It  is  you  and  I 
must  fight  the  Russians,  not  our  descendants/  ': 

As  Pinkie  delivers  the  last  of  this  and  I  blush 
under  my  rouge,  the  Japanese  officer  claps  his  hands 
sharply  together  and  turns  towards  the  sliding  doors 
behind  which  we  kneel. 

"  Hai  tadaima!"  calls  Pinkie  desperately,  attempt 
ing  the  soft  musical  voice  of  Japan.  Whispering: 
"One  Thousand  Joys,  you're  wanted/'  she  shoves  me 
into  the  room,  stepping  briskly  behind  me  and  giving 
the  low  salutation  of  the  geisha. 

Some  roguish  deviltry  coming  into  me,  I  do  the 
same  bending  act,  then  pause,  covered  with  an 
astounded  confusion. 

For,  lifting  my  eyes,  I  for  the  first  time  see  the  face 
of  the  Japanese  captain,  and  behold  not  only  the 
countenance  of  the  ghost  of  the  Kabukiza  Theatre 
but  the  features  of  the  gentleman  who  a  year  before 
had  saved  me  from  automobile  accident  in  far  away 
Connecticut.  Mentally,  I  falter:  "I  ought  to  have 
guessed  this  before !"  and  embarrassment  makes  my 
knees  tremble  as  I  wonder:  "What  will  Captain 
Okashi  Sendai  think  of  me  in  a  Japanese  tea-house 


JAPANESE  PRINCE  67 


presenting  myself  as  a  geisha  girl  carelessly  won  by 
him  at  poker  ?" 

But  Kiguro  interrupts  reflection  by  crying  savage 
ly;  what  Pinkie  afterwards  tells  me  is:  "The  in 
famous  Prince  has  paid  his  bets  in.  false  coin.  This 
is  not  The  Thousand  Joys  I  love,  but  some  miserable 
imitation  of  her.  See,  she  is  ashamed  to  look  me  in 
the  face!  For  this,  were  it  in  the  short-sword  days, 
either  Satuneza  or  I  should  commit  lion  kin!" 

But  getting  some  inkling  of  the  actor's  meeting,  I 
spring  forward  and  exclaim  almost  tearfully  in  Eng 
lish:  "This  is  a  miserable  mistake!  Probably  the 
geisha  girls  you  won  are  awaiting  you  below.  Oh, 
sir,  believe  me,  we  are  American  young  ladies." 

At  my  embarrassed  address,  the  officer  favors  me 
with  an  astounded  yet  searching  look;  then  says 
pleasantly  in  perfect  English  :  "Those  diamond  rings 
that  would  ransom  half  the  geishas  in  Japan  glisten 
ing  on  your  ringers,  prove  you  are  indeed  an  Ameri 
can  young  lady." 

"We  only  dressed  as  geishas  in  our  boat  to  play  a 
joke  upon  our  escorts.  Then  some  drunken  sailors 
coming  on  board,  we  were  compelled  to  fly  from  them 
to  this  tea-house,"  interrupts  Pinkie  ;  after  a  few  sen 
tences  of  rapid  explanation,  adding  :  "Here  an  awful 


68  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

mistake  occurred,  and  we  were  shown  into  that  room, 
and- 

"Won  by  me/'  smiles  Captain  Sendai.  Then  bow 
ing  to  the  floor  before  both  Miss  Caldwell  and  myself, 
he  says  gallantly :  "Such  exquisite  winnings  I  would 
never  relinquish — even  to  my  faithful  retainer.  I 
presume  under  the  circumstances  you  wish  to  preserve 
your  incognitos,  though  I  think  beneath  that  geisha 
make-up  I  perceive  the  features  of  a  young  lady  who 
has  been  pointed  out  to  me  on  the  Tokyo  streets  as 
Miss  Caldwell,  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  American 
Legation/'  Gazing  at  me  till  my  blushes  overpower 
my  rouge,  he  suddenly  starts  and  continues :  "Have  I 
not  met  you  before  ?  Don't  be  afraid,  honored  young 
lady.  Be  you  maid,  wife  or  widow,  your  misadven 
ture  will  be  a  Masonic  secret  to  Captain  Okashi 
Sendai." 

Here  Kiguro  striding  up  abashes  me  with  these 
awful  words:  "By  the  Sun  Goddess!  the  American 
maiden  who  became  enamored  of  my  ghost  which  was 
made  up  in  your  image,  my  master,  at  the  Kabukiza 
Theatre  !  It '  was  she  who  must  question  me  on  her 
barge  in  eager  tones  if  there  was  an  officer  in  Tokyo 
whose  face  was  like  to  my  ghost's  visage."  Then  to 
me  he  remarks:  "By  Izanagi,  Kamu  Kiguro  knows 
thy  secret,  maiden.  Ah,  I  understand  thy  red,  blush- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  69 

ing  cheeks;  you  wish  to  acknowledge  my  prince  as 
thy  master  and  do  him  honor.  Bow  with  me  before 
him  and  say  that  you  are  his  as  I  am  his/'  Xext 
addressing  the  officer  he  makes  me  blush  rosier  than 
my  vermilion  by  observing:  "She  is  very  beautiful 
under  her  paint,  and  will  please  thee,  honored 
Daimio" 

Here,,  knowing  truth  is  my  only  resource,  I  say: 
"Captain  Sendai,  I  did  make  inquiry  as  to  where  I 
could  find  you,  for  I  am  Miss  Hilda  Armstrong,  the 
daughter  of  Peter  Milliken  Armstrong,  of  the  bridge- 
building  firm  of  Meriden,  whose  life  }'ou  saved  from 
a  runaway  automobile  in  Connecticut  a  year  ago,  and 
strode  away  before  I  had  time  to  thank  you/' 

At  my  words,  the  languid,  polite  insouciance  seems 
abruptly  to  leave  the  Japanese  officer.  He  says  sud 
denly  with  a  start  of  extreme  interest:  "Armstrong, 
the  great  American  contractor  for  bridges  on  the 
Russian  railways  in  Manchuria  ?" 

"Yes,"  I  answer  modestly.  "He's  constructed  half 
the  viaducts  from  Harbin  to  Port  Arthur  and  a  good 
many  in  Siberia." 

"He  is  now  in  Japan?"  Captain  Sendai's  eyes  are 
gazing  on  me  with  most  complimentary  earnestness. 
I  have  to  confess  this,  though  I  am  by  no  means  a 
vain  girl. 


70  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Certainly." 

"Then,  honored  young  lady,"  the  Captain  thinks 
deeply  for  a  moment,  and  adds  modestly,  "permit 
me  to  come  to  visit  you  and  pay  my  respects  to  your 
father  ?  Can  I  not  have  that  honor  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  1  answer  blushingly.  "My  father  will 
be  delighted  to  see  you  and  thank  you  also  for  my 
life." 

"Oh,  this  is  romantic  !"  giggles  Pinkie.  Then  with 
American  assurance  she  says:  "Captain  Prince  Sen- 
dai,  you  can  visit  me  also.  I,  too,  live  at  the  Hotel 
Imperial." 

"But  my  One  Thousand  Joys  ?"  interrupts  Kiguro. 
"Satuneza  couldn't  wager  the  idcntures  of  these  ladies 
who  are  of  another  country." 

"Your  girl  is,  I  think,  even  now  in  the  next  room. 
The  woman  of  the  tea-house  has  doubtless  by  this 
time  discovered  her  mistake,"  replies  the  Prince  to  his 
samurai.  "Forget  the  appearance  of  these  young 
ladies  in  this  room  this  evening,  as  One  Thousand 
Joys  whitens  her  face  and  drinks  three  cups  of  sake 
to  you  and  becomes  your  bride !" 

"Thanks,  Prince  and  Master !"  says  the  actor,  and 
with  eyes  of  love  and  many  grandiloquent,  pompous 
native  speeches  and  much  bowing  and  hissing,  he 
takes  his  leave.  The  lofty  fealty  in  his  expressive 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  71 

face  tells  me  torture  will  not  open  his  lips  to  what  his 
Daimio  says  is  secret. 

"Now,  young  ladies,  just  a  glass  of  champagne  with 
me  to  show  you  have  been  my  honored  guests,  and 
then  I  will  escort  you  to  your  barge  and  turn  you  over 
to  your  cavaliers,  who  are  doubtless  concerned  as  to 
your  disappearance,"  observes  Captain  Sendai. 

The  Prince's  manner  is  courtesy  and  punctilio  it 
self  as  he  offers 'us  his  hospitality,  and  shortly  after 
leads  us  down  through  the  softly  lighted  tea-house  to 
the  river  bank.  Here  with  elaborate  bows  to  Miss 
Caldwcll  and  to  me,  he  places  us  on  board  our  barge. 

"Horrors,  that  wretched  Brown  and  the  high  play 
ing  Russian  Baron  are  still  at  their  poker  game !"  ex 
claims  Miss  Pinkie,  standing  on  tiptoe  and  gazing 
at  the  windows  of  the  tea-house. 

"Yes,  the  delights  of  jackpots  are  usually  engross 
ing  to  Americans;  and  the  Muscovites  are  generally 
very  high  rollers  in  games  of  chance,"  replies  Sendai. 
Lifting  his  military  cap  American  style,  he  observes : 
"I'll  step  up  and  tell  your  escorts  that  you  request 
their  presence."  Then  turning  to  me,  he  remarks: 
"When  I  meet  you,  honored  young  lady,  I  hope  you 
will  have  washed  your  face  and  I  will  again  see  the 
charming  features  I  once  beheld  in  Connecticut.  You 
will  excuse  my  not  returning  to  you  this  evening  as 


72  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

I  have  a  number  of  specifications  and  calculations 
that  compel  my  immediate  attention.  I  am  one  of 
the  General  Staff  and  an  officer  in  the  Engineer  Corps 
of  the  Japanese  Army.  Only  military  duty  would 
keep  me  from  giving  myself  the  honor  and  pleasure  of 
further  attendance  on  you  both  this  evening,  esteemed 
young  ladies." 

As  he  runs  up  the  steps  with  military  yet  precise 
activity  and  enters  the  tea-house,  I  remark  to  Pinkie 
in  modest  diffidence:  "Did  you  see  how  the  Prince's 
eyes  lighted  up  when  he  recognized  me  as  the  girl  he 
had  rescued  in  Connecticut?" 

"Pish  \"  exclaims  Miss  Caldwell  in  jealous  depreca 
tion.  "Sendai  is  only  a  Japanese  prince  and  you  are 
the  vainest  girl  I  ever  saw  !" 

Pinkie  is  sometimes  malicious. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

SENDAl's  BRIDGE. 

"Is  Prince  Sendai  a  Japanese  dude?"  I  ask  my 
parental  a  few  weeks  later.  This  is  after  I  have 
noted  the  languid  nonchalance  with  which  the  young 
aristocrat  lounges  about  my  parlor  in  the  most  im 
maculate  of  white  linen  suits  and  seems  too  lazy  to  do 
more  than  puff  delicate  cigarettes  and  surprise  me 
with  the  curious  smoke  effects  he  can  produce  with 
their  vapor  in  the  breezelcss  summer  atmosphere. 

"Child,  get  such  fool  notions  out  of  your  head!" 
answers  the  Honorable  Peter  Armstrong  of  Meriden, 
Connecticut.  "Sendai  is  the  most  up-to-date  engi 
neer  I  ever  struck,  and  I've  encountered  everything 
in  that  line  from  American  designers  of  East  Kiver 
bridges  and  Rocky  Mountain  railways  to  Von  Kep 
ler,  the  German  scientist,  who  ran  the  levels  across 
the  Ural  Mountains  and  through  Siberia." 

Whereupon  Dad  departs  to  figure  upon  some  of  his 
numerous  business  ventures  and  I  sit  in  my  parlor  at 
the  Imperial  Hotel  looking  out  at  its  beautiful 
grounds  from  under  an  awning  and  try  to  believe 

73 


74  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Prince  Sendai  doesn't  love  me.  I  am  not  the  vain 
girl  Miss  Caldwell  has  suggested,  but  the  Prince's 
delicate  attentions  and  constant  visits  force  me  to 
reflection.  In  fact,  Captain  Okashi  Sendai  has  giv 
en  me  a  good  deal  to  think  about  since  my  geisha  es 
capade.  To  me  he  seems  a  mass  of  contradictions. 
Languidly  lazy  in  ladies'  company,  he  wears  his  uni 
forms  as  smartly  as  any  dandy  of  the  Royal  Horse 
Guards  Blue  at  St.  James'  Palace,  London.  Though 
a  well  traveled  man  of  the  world,  he  is  in  my  com 
pany  very  retiring.  In  fact,  I  sometimes  think  he 
doesn't  know  how  to  make  love  at  all,  he  seems  so 
bashful  with  me. 

But  with  Papa  he  is  a  different  being,  of  decided 
manner,  accurate  speech  and  apparently  tremen 
dous  capacity  for  work.  He  has  contrived  to  get 
time  from  his  military  duties  to  assist  my  father's 
desire  for  obtaining  Japanese  railroad  business,  which 
has  made  Dad  dote  upon  him. 

Calling  the  next  day  after  my  geisha  night,  Cap 
tain  Okashi  Sendai  has  made  Tokyo  seem  a  fairy 
land  to  me,  arranging  little  parties  for  excursions 
under  the  cherry  trees  in  Uyeno  Park,  and  the  in 
spection  of  the  curious  Asakusa  temple  with  its  Coney 
Island  attachments,  just  outside  its  walls.  Through 
his  benign  influences,  I  have  entered  the  social  life 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  75 

of  the  Court  Circle.  He  obtained  for  me  and  Dad 
invitations  to  the  beautiful  afternoon  fete  given  by 
Prince  Mito  in  his  marvelous  garden.  Under  its 
flower  trees  are  in  miniature  scenes  of  the  Heroic  age 
of  Japanese  art  and  literature. 

Though  always  accompanied  by  a  party,  I  have 
made  many  excursions  with  him. 

In  fact,  his  devotion  has  become  quite  the  gossip 
in  both  European  and  Japanese  circles,  for  Captain 
Prince  Sendai  is  a  very  noted  nobleman. 

Schevitch  and  Miss  Pinkie  Caldwell  are  often  of 
these  parties,  the  Baron  and  the  Prince  seeming  to  be 
pleasantly  friendly,  notwithstanding  national  animo 
sity.  Only  once  has  Russian  steel  brought  fire  from 
Japanese  flint. 

We  had  returned  from  a  jaunt  to  the  big  parade 
ground  where  we  had  seen  a  portion  of  the  Japanese 
Guard  drilling.  Miss  Caldwell,  Count  de  Sansey  of 
the  French  legation  and  Tommy  Peters  of  the  Stand 
ard  Oil  business  were  in  the  party.  As  we  sat  in  my 
parlor,  I  had  spoken  enthusiastically  of  the  superb 
smartness  of  the  Guard  maneuvers. 

"Oh,  they're  good  enough,"  replied  Sendai,  who 
like  most  of  the  higher  class  Japanese  pretends  to  be 
modest  in  regard  to  his  own  country,  "but  you  should 


76  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

see  our  artillery.  We  are  a  mathematical  nation  and 
science  to-day  produces  accurate  gun-fire." 

"Mon  Dieu,  but  the  Russian  cavalry!"  observes 
De  Sansey,  who  being  French  is  a  Muscovite  adorer. 

"Yes,  by  Saint  Constantino,  you  should  see  the 
charge  of  the  Cossacks  of  the  Imperial  Guard  at  the 
St.  Petersburg  reviews,  Captain  Senclai !"  remarks 
Schevitch  enthusiastically.  "They're  not  like  your 
little  Japanese  troopers,  mounted  on  ponies." 

"I  expect  to !"  observes  Senclai,  languidly  knocking 
the  ashes  from  his  cigar;  he  having  courteously  asked 
my  permission,  though  everybody  smokes  everywhere 
in  Japan. 

"When  ?"  asks  the  Russian  laughingly. 

"When  the  Japanese  artillery  opens  upon  them !" 
replies  the  Captain,  a  curious  flash  lighting  up  his 
dark  eyes. 

"Ah,  that  is  the  talk  of  excitement,"  replies  Sche 
vitch.  "Japan  will  never  venture  to  oppose  us  with 
arms  in  the  East." 

"That's  what  we  wish  you  Russians  to  think.  A 
rat-catching  cat  hides  its  claws,"  observed  Sendai, 
quite  seriously.  Then  apparently  controlling  him 
self,  he  half  laughs :  "I  presume  you're  right,  Baron. 
The  reports  I  have  heard  of  the  Russian  Imperial 
Guard  at  St.  Petersburg  indicate  that  their  display 


MY.  JAPANESE  PRINCE  77 

must  be  tremendous  and  impressive.  But  to-day 
mediaeval  spectacular  military  pageants  do  not  pro 
duce  success  on  the  field  of  battle.  Victory  comes 
from  modern  mathematical  strategy  and  scientific 
slaughter." 

"Ah,  if  it  is  mathematics  against  chivalry  and 
elan/'  cries  Schevitch  ardently,  looking  at  me,  "I 
know  on  which  side  the  ladies  will  bestow  their  guer 
dons." 

"To  the  victors  probably/'  laughs  the  Japanese. 
"The  fair  sex  likes  the  winning  side  now  as  well  as  it 
did  in  the  days  of  Ivanhoe.  You  have  read  Sir  Wal 
ter  Scott,  haven't  you,  Miss  Armstrong  ?" 

His  dark  eyes  as  they  gaze  into  mine  seem  to  plead 
for  my  favor.  So  I  indulge  Sendai  with  a  return 
glance  or  two  that  cause  the  Eussian  Baron's  mous 
tache  to  twitch  uneasily,  and  remark  airily:  "The 
American  fair  sex  adores  the  fellow  who  gets  there." 

Fortunately  about  this  time  Papa  comes  into  my 
parlor  with  a  bundle  of  business  correspondence  and 
after  greeting  the  rest  of  the  company,  says :  "Sendai, 
I  want  to  see  you  about  those  bridge  contracts  on  the 
Hokodate  branch  line.  Taking  your  advice,  I  have 
been  estimating  for  them.  Come  into  my  room  with 
me.  Light  another  cigar  and  we'll  go  over  them  to 
gether,  my  boy." 


73  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

I  shall  not  forget  the  sickly  look  the  Baron  gave  me 
at  this  familiarity  of  father's  to  the  Captain.  I  pre 
sume  in  his  foreign  fashion  Schevitch  thinks  it  in 
dicates  coming  nuptials  and  that  there  will  be  soon  an 
American-Japanese  Princess. 

Miss  Pinkie  also  emits  a  suggestive  giggle,  noting 
Papa's  familiarity  to  the  dandy  engineer  officer,  who, 
I  am  pretty  sure,  is  cultivating  my  father  on  my  ac 
count. 

After  the  others  have  taken  their  leave  and  gone 
away,  Papa  brings  the  Captain  back  with  him,  and 
the  Prince  "honors  himself  "  as  he  expresses  it,  by 
dining  with  us  European  style  and  making  my  even 
ing  a  very  pleasant  one.  He  has  traveled  the  world 
over;  and  learning  I  having  been  to  Paris  he  tells 
me  some  curious  anecdotes  of  his  Parisian  experience 
when  he  was  examining  French  automobiles  to  see  if 
they  could  be  made  of  practical  use  in  the  Japanese 
Army. 

Though  we're  en  tete-a-tete,  he  doesn't  make  love 
to  me  American  fashion;  but  sits  at  a  little  distance 
and  devours  me  with  his  dark  eyes.  Japs  never  kiss, 
but  perhaps  Sendai's  bashful  lack  of  propinquity  is 
because  Dad  will  wander  in  upon  us  every  now  and 
then  from  his  room,  to  ask  some  technical  questions 
regarding  Japanese  railroads. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  79 

To  aid  his  explanations  to  my  father,  the  Prince, 
with  Papa's  permission,  inspects  a  portfolio  of  the 
specifications  and  drawings  of  the  bridges  the  Meri- 
den  company  has  erected  in  Manchuria  for  the  Kus- 
sian  government.  It  is  quite  a  habit  of  his  during 
his  technical  conversations  with  Papa. 

During  this  I  note  that  his  cuff  is  drawn  up,  dis 
playing  a  small  tattooed  compass  in  red  ink  just  above 
his  wrist.  In  answer  to  the  inquiry  of  my  glance, 
Okashi  says  casually :  "A  souvenir  of  boyish  foolish 
ness  when  I,  a  lad  of  thirteen,  spent  a  year  on  an 
English  training  ship,  thinking  I  might  'bear  up'  as 
you  call  it,  for  the  Japanese  Navy." 

After  he  has  taken  his  leave  with  many  bows  and 
polite  speeches,  Dad,  looking  after  him,  remarks  to 
me :  "That  dapper  little  engineer  officer,  who  is  trot 
ting  about  after  you,  Hilda,  has  been  a  perfect  god 
send  of  a  business  find  to  me !" 

"He  has  been  a  godsend  of  a  social  find  to  me,"  I 
laugh.  "Through  his  influence,  here's  an  invitation 
to  the  Marquis  Oyama's  ball." 

"Has  he?  Well,  he  has  been  so  powerful  useful 
to  me  that  I  don't  think  it  will  be  necessary  for  us 
to  stay  here  more  than  a  week  or  two  longer." 

"You — you  are  going  to  take  me  away — away  from 
Tokyo?"  I  ejaculate  in  disconcerted  tone. 


80  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Why  certainly.  The  Russian  government  is  push 
ing  me  on  our  Manchurian  railroad  work  and  I've 
got  to  hustle  that  up.  Besides,  Captain  Sendai  has 
fixed  it  so  I  have  secured  a  lot  of  contracts  up  in  Yezo, 
kindly  making  some  of  the  calculations  on  their  speci 
fications  for  me  himself.  That  Japanese  heau  of 
yours  is  the  very  finest  mechanical  mathematician  I 
ever  ran  across.  He  did  the  calculations  for  the 
bridge  trusses  in  about  half  the  time  Colvil  Jenkins, 
C.  E.,  who  was  Senior  Wrangler  at  Cambridge,  took 
for  the  same  proposition  a  year  ago  in  Niuchwang. 
And  it  is  a  tough  one,  mathematical  say.  Sendai 
is  a  hummer  at  calculus  and  equations,  haven't  you 
discovered  that  ?" 

"Indeed,  Papa,"  I  laugh,  "Captain  Sendai  and  I 
don't  discuss  mathematics  or  engineering." 

"No,  reckon  there  are  other  subjects,"  mutters  Dad, 
and  looks  rather  searchingly  at  me. 

He  doesn't  bring  a  blush  to  my  face.  I  like  the 
admiration  of  Captain  Sendai,  because  it  makes  the 
Baron  very  gloomy  and  drives  Pinkie  Caldwell  into 
fits  of  rage.  Besides,  Sendai  is  a  Prince.  Not  that 
I  depend  upon  Prince  Sendai  altogether  for  amuse 
ment  in  Tokyo.  I  find  little  Count  de  Sansey  of  the 
French  Embassy,  Billy  Magoun,  the  English  banker, 
and  Tommy  Peters,  who  represents  Standard  Oil  in 


MY,  JAPANESE  PRINCE  81 

the  Eastern  world,  are  all  anxious  to  bow  down  to 
me  and  do  my  Lidding. 

Miss  Caldwell  lias  hinted  somewhat  maliciously 
that  it  is  because  they  have  discovered  that  Peter 
Milliken  Armstrong  has  accumulated  several  mil 
lions  of  Yankee  dollars  in  his  Connecticut  bridge- 
building  business.  But  Pinkie  has  become  morbid 
ever  since  Charlie  Brown  has  left  her  side  and  got  to 
running  after  me. 

When  Charlie  came  down  from  the  tea-house  on  the 
night  of  the  river  fete  and  saw  me  in  geisha  costume, 
I  think  that  settled  Mr.  Brown.  I  wonder  why  I 
look  so  skittish  in  a  kimono.  My  Chinese  maid,  San 
Shoo,  says  its  my — •  But  that's  telling ! 

Anyway,  from  that  night  Captain  Sendai  has  been 
quite  a  steady  visitor  at  the  Hotel  Imperial.  He  has 
not  only  devoted  himself  to  me,  but  has  ingratiated 
himself  with  my  father,  always  laughing  at  Dad's 
stories  with  consummate  politeness,  though  he  must 
have,  by  this  time,  heard  the  whole  bunch  a  couple  of 
dozen  encores. 

In  addition,  he  has  kindly  figured  for  Dad  on  con 
tracts  for  half  a  dozen  new  iron  bridges  that  the  Rus 
sians  are  erecting  on  the  Manchurian  roads.  To  as 
sist  him  in  this  work  he  has  carefully  inspected  the 
drawings  father  has  of  those  already  erected  during 


82  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

the  last  few  years.  He  seems  never  tired  of  looking 
at  profiles  and  specifications  of  the  big  structure  over 
the  Sungari  or  the  smaller  one  Dad  erected  on  the 
railroad  fifty  odd  miles  north  of  Port  Arthur. 
Though  it  is  only  an  ordinary  underfoot  iron  truss 
over  two  stone  piers  and  the  usual  masonry  abut 
ments  something  in  the  construction  seems  to  please 
his  engineer's  eyes  and  he  gazes  as  lovingly  at  this 
last  bridge  as  if  it  has  been  his  own  design,  though 
Blowitz,  the  German  engineer,  erected  it  over  three 
years  ago.  Sometimes  I  laughingly  call  it  Sendai's 
Bridge. 

Looking  over  his  shoulder  one  day  as  he  gazes  at 
the  pretty  drawing  of  the  bridge,  I  laugh:  "I  know 
that  structure  from  start  to  finish." 

"Yes?"  Prince  Sendai  turns  to  me  with  consid 
erable  interest. 

"Why  certainly.  Three  years  ago  when  they  were 
putting  up  the  iron  work  of  that  bridge  Dad  and  I 
occupied  a  pretty  little  cottage  right  on  the  banks 
of  the  river.  We  lived  there  two  months;  and 
may  go  back  and  occupy  it  now  when  Dad  rushes  me 
to  Manchuria  to  hurry  up  the  railroad  structures 
there.  You  see  it  is  much  pleasanter  than  the  ter 
rible  Hotel  de  France  at  Port  Arthur,  or  even  Dalny. 
It  has  a  lot  of  pretty  trees  about  it,  a  flower  and  vege- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  83 

table  garden,  and  the  cool  breezes  from  the  Yellow 
Sea  go  over  it  in  summer,  though  the  place  is  quite 
sheltered  from  winter  storms.  Our  garden  isn't  a 
hundred,  feet  from  one  of  the  abutments  of  this  bridge 
and  I  used  to  play  tag  with  my  Chinese  maid  on  the 
girders,  till  Dad  stopped  me  and  said  Fd  kill  myself. 
I  was  only  seventeen  then." 

Sendai  seems  quite  interested  in  my  babble. 

"By  the  bye,  those  specifications  of  the  bridge,"  I 
say  to  prove  my  assertion,  "are  not  quite  0.  K." 

"No?" 

"No;  they  changed  the  caisson  foundations  of  the 
piers  to  pile  ones.  The  Russians  were  in  such  a  hurry 
to  get  the  structure  completed  and  the  road  opened  to 
Port  Arthur." 

"The  river,  I  believe,"  remarks  Sendai,  "is  quite 
a  deep  and  rapid  one." 

"Oh  yes,"  I  reply,  "that's  the  reason  we  are  going 
to  do  some  more  work  upon  the  bridge.  The  trusses 
are  to  be  additionally  strengthened." 

"If  a  winter  flood  swept  it  away,  it  could  not  be 
replaced  for  a  number  of  months,  I  imagine,"  ob 
serves  the  Captain  almost  contemplatively. 

"You've  guessed  it,"  I  say.  "Port  Arthur  and 
Dalny  would  be  in  a  pretty  bad  fix  without  it.  They'd 
have  to  depend  for  all  supplies  by  sea." 


84  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Ah  yes,"  remarks  Sendai,  '"but  I  am  afraid  tech 
nical  conversation  rather  wearies  you/'     Then  he  sud 
denly  turns  from  me,  for  Baron  Schevitch  and  Miss 
Pinkie  Caldwell  have  come  in,  and  says:    "I  hope 
you  enjoyed  Prince  Hito's  garden  fete,  honored  Miss 
Caldwell.     Esteemed   Miss   Armstrong  thinks   it   is 
the  prettiest  entertainment  she  has  seen  in  Tokyo, 
not  even  omitting  the  water  fete   during  which   I 
encountered  two  such  extraordinarily  pretty  geishas. 
By  the  Moon  Goddess,  I  shall  never  forget  them! 
By  the  bye,  I  have  just  been  inviting  our  benign 
hostess  to  form  a  party  for  a  real  geisha  fete,  one  I 
shall  give  for  her  at  some  tea-house.     For  the  in 
struction  of  you  young  ladies,"  the  wretch   grins, 
"shall  be  performed  the  'Fan/  the  'Mapleleaf  and 
the  fNo9  dances,  by  real  geishas  in  true  Dai  Nippon 
style,  after  a  dinner  of  tiny  smoked  trout,  young 
sardines    and  white  bait,  which  I  assure    you    are 
just  as  fine  as  those  you  may  have  tasted  at  'The  Star 
and  Garter/  Richmond,  by  the  banks  of  the  Thames." 
With  this,  the  Prince  runs  off  into  a  list  of  social 
gaieties  that  he  proposes  to  tender  to  me,  for  curiously, 
when  Schevitch  and  other  people  are  in  our  rooms, 
Sendai  forgets  science  for  passion  and  devotes  him 
self  entirely  to  my  behests  and  pleasure.     Sometimes 
I  fear  he  is  jealous  of  Serge  Schevitch,  and  the  rea- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  85 

son  for  his  peculiar  conduct  is  that  he  doesn't  want 
the  blond  Russian  to  get  a  word  with  me. 

And  all  this  time  I  am  being  gradually  impressed 
with  the  grandeur  of  the  Sendai  family.  What  girl 
could  help  it  ?  The  other  day,  as  we  strolled  in  com 
pany  with  Madame  de  Comoron,  along  the  Sakaurada 
Avenue,  and  the  Prince  showed  me  the  old  palace  of 
his  house,  that  is  now  occupied  as  one  of  the  build 
ings  of  the  War  Department,  how  everybody,  as  they 
passed,  all  bowed  down  and  hissed  their  reverence  at 
him,  Japanese  style.  The  people  do  not  forget  how 
these  great  Daimio  families  have  surrendered  for  the 
national  weal,  the  power  of  life,  death  and  dominion 
over  whole  principalities,  and  even  their  Tokyo  pal 
aces,  so  that  Japan,  from  being  a  feudal  hermit 
nation,  could  become  a  great  power  of  the  modern 
world. 

During  these  weeks  I  see  Kamu  Kiguro  quite  fre 
quently.  There  is  apparently  no  Japanese  honey 
moon,  certainly  there  has  been  no  wedding  tour. 

Chancing  to  be  at  the  Kabukiza  the  other  day  with 
a  theatre  party,  between  the  acts  Captain  Sendai 
said  to  one  of  the  refreshment  boys:  "Skip  behind 
the  curtain  and  tell  the  ghost  I  want  him  I" 

And  Kiguro  coming  out  before  us  made  up  to  rep 
resent  the  Prince,  I  see  the  wondrous  likeness  into 


86  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

which  the  actor  had  transformed  himself.  He  is  a 
living  image  of  his  lord,  as  in  his  old  time  robes  he 
bows  and  says :  "A  thousand  blessings  on  my  Daimio 
for  having  made  his  retainer  happy  in  the  love  of  One 
Thousand  Joys/' 

"You  found  her  without  much  trouble  that  night 
at  the  tea-house  ?"  I  ask  laughingly. 

"Yes,  Satuneza  had  paid  his  wager  straight  enough. 
One  Thousand  Joys  has  now  settled  down  to  house 
work  and  has  made  me  wonder  how  I  so  long  deferred 
the  pleasures  of  having  my  cooking  done  for  me/' 
replies  the  actor.  "One  Thousand  Joys  is  delighted 
that  she  has  no  mother-in-law  to  rule  her  and  all  goes 
well  in  the  little  house  in  the  Shiba  Ku.  I  have  a 
fire  insurance  on  it.  Some  day  we  may  be  blessed 
with  a  fire.  Then  I  shall  give  a  banquet.*  But  with 
your  permission,  honored  lord,  may  I  make  my  hum 
ble  bow?  I  now  go  to  become  The  Cherry  Blossom 
in  the  little  comedy." 

Soon  after  I  discover  that  Kiguro  has  struck  up  an 
acquaintance  with  Ah  Tow,  Dad's  Chinese  valet,  a  fel 
low  Papa  picked  up  in  Manchuria  four  years  ago  and 
who  is  now  as  devoted  to  him  as  his  wife,  my  Chinese 

*  The  houses  are  so  easily  erected  that  a  well  insured 
fire  is  considered  a  fortunate  matter  in  Tokyo.  The  owner 
of  the  conflagration  quite  often  gives  an  entertainment  to 
celebrate  the  happy  event.— EDITOR. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  87 

maid,  San  Shoo,  is  to  me.  She  came  into  my  service 
about  the  same  time.  I,  being  motherless,  have  spent 
the  last  four  years  by  Papa's  side  and  have  therefore 
been  a  good  deal  in  Manchuria. 

Ah  Tow  informs  me  that  the  actor  can  play  fan- 
tan  like  a  Chinese  expert,  chatter  Mongolian  dialect 
like  a  native;  also  that  Iviguro's  "boss,"  Captain 
Sendai,  addresses  him  in  very  fair  Manchurian,  giv 
ing  him  many  little  presents,  which  I  presume  are 
to  make  the  Chinese  servitor  his  friend.  The  Prince 
seems  to  have  endeared  himself  to  all  our  following 
by  his  polite  ways  and  more  than  liberal  hand,  which 
is  unusual  to  the  Japanese,  who,  Papa  says,  are  some 
what  in  money  matters  like  New  Englanders,  pinch 
ing  a  contract  to  the  last  yen  and  determined  to  get 
the  value  of  their  money.  "There  will  be  no  working 
in  uninspected  girders  on  the  Japanese  railroads  as 
we  have  sometimes  done  on  the  Russians/'  Dad  re 
marks  gloomily. 

So  the  time  runs  along  and  our  departure  from 
Tokyo  is  hastened  by  letters  Papa  receives  from 
2sTiuchwang  and  Mukden,  which  make  his  brows  con 
tract.  "I  think  we  will  have  to  be  getting  a  move 
on,  Hilda,"  he  says.  "I  must  hustle  to  Manchuria 
and  fix  up  my  business  with  the  Czar  right  smart." 

"Why?"  I  ask, 


88  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Oh,  so  as  to  have  everything  shipshape  if  there 
comes  an  armed  clash  between  our  friends  here  and 
the  Russians." 

"Shucks !"  I  remark  flippantly.  "The  Baron  says 
the  Japs  will  never  dare.  Though,  of  course,  I  know 
every  time  I  see  Schevitch  in  the  streets,  that  tli3 
natives  of  this  polite  nation  politely  hate  the  Musco 
vites.  The  common  people  look  two  swords  at  him, 
and  even  the  better  classes  give  him  the  evil  eye.  But 
officially  everything  is  very  pleasant,  and  I  am  told 
the  Mikado  bows  more  affably  to  the  representative 
of  the  Czar  than  he  does  to  any  other  foreign  am- 
bassador." 

"Humph !"  grunts  my  father,  "then  the  fracas  may 
be  closer  than  I  expected.  So  you  had  better  get  to 
packing  your  duds  and  gripsacks,  daughter." 

And  now  it  is  the  very  day  before  our  leaving  Tokyo 
and  the  Prince  has  not  yet  spoken,  though  his  dark 
eyes,  almost  Grecian  nose  and  mathematical  lips 
at  times  seem  sentimentally  inclined.  I  hope  he 
won't  speak.  I  don't  want  to  make  him  unhappy. 

Still  my  last  day  in  Tokyo  is  made  memorable  by 
two  peculiar  interviews. 

Early  in  the  morning  before  the  time  of  perfor 
mance  in  the  theatre,  San  Shoo,  my  maid,  comes  into 
my  bedroom  and  says  that  Kiguro,  the  great  actor, 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  89 

humbly  begs  the  moon-eyed  daughter  of  the  West  for 
an  audience.  Kiguro  has  just  made  a  dramatic  hit. 

"Tell  Kiguro,  the  great  actor,  that  this  moon-eyed 
daughter  of  the  West  grants  him  his  humble  petition 
and  ask  him  to  take  off  his  clogs  and  come  up  into 
my  parlor/'  I  reply  affably.  Though  I  am  only  in  my 
kimono,  I  step  rapidly  into  my  parlor. 

Two  minutes  later  the  Japanese  Thespian  stands 
before  me  and  bows  humbly  to  the  floor  with  much 
polite  hissing  of  the  breath.  My  kimono  costume 
seems  to  please  his  national  vanity.  To  me  he  says 
gloomily  in  his  grandiloquent  stage  voice:  "Maiden 
of  the  white  arms,  I  have  noticed  that  my  lord,  the 
Daimio,  is  growing  mood}'.  He  drinks  his  sake  too 
slowly  to  please  me.  The  best  brand  of  cigars  tastes 
badly  to  him — he  seems  to  have  some  weighty  matter 
upon  his  august  mind.  Is  it  because  of  the  evil-eyed 
Russian  who  follows  thee  like  a  Yezo  bear  seeking 
honey?  If  it  is,  I  will  perform  a  sword  feat  upon 
him  that  shall  make  his  bowels  cumber  the  rice-field." 

"Merciful  heavens !"  I  whisper  aghast.  "Would 
you,  at  the  height  of  your  grand  triumph,  commit  a 
deed  for  which  they  would  execute  you  ?" 

"My  forefathers  have  died  before  for  the  Sendai. 
I  am  a  samurai  and  my  lord's  enemy  is  my  enemy. 


90  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Besides,  from  my  rank,  I  have  the  right  to  hari  Iciri 
should  I  wish." 

To  this  I  exclaim  in  horrified  tone:  "No,  no;  for 
Heaven's  sake,  don't  think  the  Russian  has  anything 
to  do  with  your  lord's  having  a  bitter  taste  in  his 
mouth  when  he  smokes." 

"Ah,  then  the  Russian  is  nothing  in  your  eyes?" 

"Nothing,"  I  cry  eagerly.  "Baron  Schevitch  is  no 
more  to  me  than  the  beasts  of  the  field." 

Here  Kiguro  makes  me  blush  to  the  roots  of  my 
hair  by  saying  complaisantly :  "Of  course  not.  Now 
that  you  are  my  lord's,  you  can  be  no  other  man's." 

It's  lucky  Dad  doesn't  hear  the  actor  or  he  would 
kick  Kiguro  out,  though  perhaps  he  couldn't,  as  the 
Japanese  Thespian  has  the  agility  of  a  tiger. 

Before  I  can  recover  myself  he  continues  earnestly : 
"Then  since  it  is  not  the  Muscovite,  is  it  thy  de 
parture  from  the  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun  that  makes 
my  master  think  his  tea  bitter  ?  You,  of  course,  go 
with  Prince  Sendai's  august  permission  ?" 

"He's — he's  not  objected  to  my  going!"!  answer 
with  a  nervous  giggle. 

"Ah,  then  all  is  well,"  asserts  the  Japanese  actor. 
"No  woman  could  fail  to  give  consideration  to  my 
noble  master's  passion."  Oh,  the  reverent  adoration 
in  Kiguro's  speaking  eyes !  "Remember  that  the  god- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  91 

dess  of  love  decreed  thy  fate  when  the  august  Sendai 
won  you  as  you  knelt  upon  the  mat  that  evening.  It 
is  your  fate  to  be  his.  Be  worthy  to  be  submissive  to 
him  and  look  for  his  coming  step  as  you  do  for  the 
joys  of  the  sunrise.  Make  him  always  thy  Izanagi— 
thy  Gods  of  Gods!  We  are  both  slaves  to  our  lord. 
Sayonara"  The  look  of  mediseval  submission  and 
admiration  for  his  Daimio  in  the  actor's  face  half 
frightens  me.  Good  Heavens,  what  wild  thing  might 
he  not  do  to  me  if  he  thought  Prince  Sendai's  heart 
were  broken  by  me ! 

I  am  so  much  overcome  with  this  view  of  the  mat 
ter  that  I  greet  Kiguro's  parting  salaams  with  a  hy 
sterical  laugh,  and  going  to  my  room  become  almost 
frightened  at  the  terrific  passion  I  must  have  aroused 
in  Prince  Sendai. 

This  makes  me  so  embarrassed  in  my  greeting  of 
the  Prince  that  from  it  he  perhaps  draws  hope  when 
he  calls  to  bid  me  adieu  on  the  evening  of  my  de 
parture.  At  all  events,  I  know  that  his  passion  has 
become  so  fervid  that  he  is  unable  to  control  it.  Per 
haps  it  is  because  the  summer  heat  permits  me  to 
wear  a  most  ethereal  Parisian  evening  gown,  that  San 
Shoo,  my  maid,  says  is  more  "catchy-catchy"  than 
"J&p-kimoiw!" 

Dad  is  in  his  room,  aided  by  Ah  Tow,  packing  his 


92  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

papers  and  trunks.  San  Shoo  is  doing  the  same  for 
me  in  my  chamber.  The  Prince  and  I  are  en  tete-a- 
tete  in  my  parlor  at  the  Hotel  Imperial.  The  even 
ing  is  moonlight;  the  hour  is  romantic;  Captain 
Sendars  dark  eyes  seem  very  sad  as  they  look  upon 
me.  "To-morrow  you  will  he  far  away  from  here, 
honored  Miss  Armstrong/"'  he  says  as  he  bows  before 
me. 

"Yes,"  I  whisper,  "far  away."  I  had  intended  to 
say  "from  you,"  but  I  pity  the  poor  fellow's  unhappy 
love  for  me  and  only  suggest  that  by  a  sentimental 
glance.  Then  to  relieve  the  strain  of  the  situation, 
I  run  on  in  laughing  pertness :  "And  I  hope  you  will 
be  a  good  boy  when  I  am  away." 

"I  shall  be  very  busy,"  he  observes,  as  at  my  per 
mission  he  lights  a  cigar  and  sits  down.  "It  is  only 
the  idle  who  can  spare  much  time  for  wickedness." 

He  always  will  sit  at  such  a  respectful  distance 
from  me  that  it  is  difficult  to  carry  on  a  very  con 
fidential  conversation. 

"Yes,  but  you  must  be  busy  about  the  right  things, 
Okashi,"  I  remark,  moving  somewhat  nearer  to  him. 
I  have  grown  into  the  habit  of  calling  the  Prince  by 
his  first  name,  though  he  has  always  addressed  me  in 
his  Japanese  way  as  '^honored  young  lady"  or  "es- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  93 

teemed  Miss  Armstrong"  or  "beneficent  goddess/'    I 
like  the  last  best.     It  is  most  romantic. 

"I  have  heard  you  were  the  wildest  kind  of  an 
undergraduate  at  Harvard/'  I  resume,  assuming  a 
sisterly  tone. 

"Honored  Miss  Armstrong,  youth  will  be  young, 
and  to  be  a  man  it  is  necessary  to  have  experience  in 
everything,"  he  answers,  deprecatingly  I  think. 

"Oh,  yes,  but  you  must  promise  me  that  you  will 
not  play  too  high  poker  while  I'm  away,"  I  observe, 
continuing  the  sisterly  method  of  displaying  interest 
in  him. 

"Oh,  my  stakes  shall  never  be  higher  than  when  I 
won — "  the  prince  looks  at  me  and  laughs  lightly,  but 
with  a  suspicion  of  sentiment  in  his  tone,  "the  trem 
bling  young  ladies  kneeling  on  the  mat." 

"Oh  yes,  but  that  includes  Pinkie,"  T  giggle.  "And 
two  don't  go  in  Yankeeland !"  Then  thinking  of 
what  I  have  suggested,  I  grow  red  in  the  face  as  he 
looks  at  me  in  a  contemplative  yet  startled  way,  and 
replies :  "Believe  me,  I  know  enough  of  American  cus 
toms  not  to  attempt  to  build  a  bridge  in  the  clouds !" 

"But  you  must  promise  me,"  I  ejaculate,  trying  to 
cover  embarrassment  by  flippancy,  "not  to  gamble  for 
any  other  geishas,  or  I  shall  have  a  lecture  to  read  to 
you  when  I  return  from  Manchuria." 


94  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Oh,"  he  laughs,  "quarrels  only  come  with  the  ab 
sence  of  the  red  petticoat."  The  color  of  my  counte 
nance  is  now  crimson.  "The  red  petticoat"  in  Japan 
is  doffed  before  marriage. 

But  Sendai,  probably  noticing  my  blushes,  remarks 
lightly :  "If  I  promise  to  be  a  good  boy  in  Tokyo,  you 
must  promise  to  write  me  long  gossipy  letters  from 
Manchuria." 

"Indeed  I  will,"  I  answer,  "I  know  everyone  in 
Port  Arthur  from  Alexeieff,  the  Eussian  Viceroy, 
and  Admiral  Stark,  the  commander  of  the  fleet,  to  the 
landlord  of  the  dirty  Hotel  de  France." 

"Thank  you,  I  shall  always  be  interested  in  what 
you  are  doing,"  he  says  gratefully  and  earnestly;  add 
ing  :  "Esteemed  young  lady,  were  I  you,  I  would  not 
permit  too  marked  attentions  from  Baron  Schevitch." 

"Why,  the  Baron  will  not  be  in  Manchuria." 

"Oh,  I  think  he  will,"  observes  the  Prince,  con 
templatively  knocking  the  ashes  from  his  cigar,  "quite 
shortly  after  you  arrive  there.  It  is  not  often  that  I 
make  remarks  about  men  behind  their  backs,  but  the 
Baron's  profession  is  not  as  aristocratic  as  at  present 
you  think  it,  honored  Miss  Armstrong." 

"What  do  you  mean  ?"  I  ask,  opening  my  eyes. 

"Oh,  well,  to  be  very  candid  with  you,  I  mean  the 
Baron  is  an  agent  of  the  Czar  to  discover  things  which 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  95 

his  embassy  would  consider  beneath  diplomatic  atten 
tion.  He  is  simply  a  paid  spy  of  the  Russian  govern 
ment/' 

"Good  heavens  !"  I  falter  as  into  my  mind  flies : 
"Oh,  how  jealous  Sendai  must  be  to  say  such  things 
of  his  rival!" 

"I  can  repeat  this  to  my  father?"  I  remark  rather 
haughtily. 

"Why  certainly;  in  fact,  you  had  better  give  your 
father  a  hint;  that  is,  if  Papa  wishes  to  get  ex 
tremely  good  prices  from  the  Russian  government  on 
any  more  bridge  contracts/'  laughs  the  engineer  of 
ficer.  Then  he  abruptly  changes  the  subject  and 
says:  "An  important  order  from  the  Chief  of  Staff 
will  not  permit  my  going  to-morrow  morning  to  Yoko 
hama  to  see  you  on  board  the  Nagasaki  Maru,  but  you 
will  find,  honored  young  lady,  that  I  am  represented 
by  a  token." 

Just  then,  Dad  in  his  careless,  interrupting  way 
comes  in  and  cries:  "What  is  that  I  hear,  my  boy — 
that  you  won't  be  able  to  see  us  off  at  Yokohama  ?" 

"Xo,  honored  Mr.  Armstrong.  Some  news  that  has 
arrived  this  evening  has  given  me  immediate  and  im 
perative  duties  to  perform,  and  consequently  I  am 
compelled  to  say  sayonara  this  evening  both  to  you 
and  your  fair  daughter."  Sendai  bows  to  the  floor 


96  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

before  me.     Then  looking  into  my  eyes,  a  strange 
light     enters    his     as    he    says:     "May    we     meet 


o* 

again  ?" 


"We  will  meet  again  !"  I  reply.  "Papa  early  in  the 
spring  is  bringing  me  back  to  Tokyo  on  our  way  to 
the  United  States.  Besides—" 

"I  may  come  to  Manchuria ;  who  knows  ?"  remarks 
the  Prince  contemplatively. 

"Oh,  you  think  you  will  visit  us  in  Manchuria?" 
I  reply  effusively. 

"Perhaps.  Even  a  fortune  teller  cannot  foretell 
his  own  fate/'  observes  the  Captain. 

Then  Papa  shakes  hands  with  him  in  American 
fashion  and  says :  "Thank  you  for  everything  you 
have  done  for  me  in  a  business  way  and  in  a  social  way 
for  my  daughter/'  and  walks  out. 

Sendai  looking  at  me,  remarks  sentimentally: 
"Please  don't  forget  my  words  in  regard  to  the  Baron, 
esteemed  Miss  Armstrong." 

"I  will  remember/'  I  whisper. 

"There,  good-bye  now !"  He  uses  the  English  form 
of  address.  Apparently  passion  makes  him  ignore 
Japanese  etiquette;  he  takes  my  hand,  kisses  it  in 
the  European  way  and  whispers :  "Don't  forget  your 
letters!  Tell  me  everything  that  is  going  on  about 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  9? 

you — write  me  the  details  of  life  in  Port  Arthur  I" 
Bowing  once  more,  he  passes  from  my  sight. 

There  are  tears  in  my  eyes  as  I  watch  the  poor  fel 
low  depart — a  woman  is  always  tender  to  a  hopeless 
passion.  Suddenly  I  wonder  if  Sendai  thinks  my 
promise  to  write  to  him  means  a  Japanese  engage 
ment. 

The  next  morning  we  glide  down  to  Yokohama 
on  the  train  and  go  on  board  the  Nagasaki  Maru 
bound  for  Chemulpo  and  Niuchwang.  From  the 
latter  port  we  will  take  train  to  Port  Arthur  and 
Dalny. 

Schevitch,  Pinkie  Caldwell  and  Charlie  Brown  have 
come  on  board  to  bid  us  good-bye,  and  the  Baron 
whispers  to  me :  "It  is  only  au  revoir,  Mademoiselle 
Armstrong,  I  shall  be  in  Manchuria  within  the 
month. " 

As  I  step  into  my  cabin,  I  give  an  exclamation  of 
delight;  it  has  been  made  a  floral  bower  by  Prince 
Sendai.  On  its  table  is  a  case.  I  open  it  and  find 
a  wondrous  piece  of  that  magnificent  cloisonne  work 
that,  made  by  the  old  artificers  of  Japan,  is  now  al 
most  priceless.  With  it  is  a  note. 

"Esteemed  Young  Lady : — 

This  bauble  has  been  in  the  Sendai  family  for 

many  hundred  years.     Keep  it  as  a  slight  sou- 


98  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

venir  of  some  happy  Tokyo  days.     Pardon  the  ex 
treme  effrontery  of  my  venturing  to  address  you. 
Rejoicing  that  your  honored  health  is  not  sub 
ject  to  sea-sickness, 

I  remain  your  most  humble, 

SENDAI." 

As  I  return  to  the  deck,  impressed  by  the  magni 
ficence  of  the  Prince's  gift,  I  remember  the  Prince's 
warning.  "Oh,  he  must  consider  my  promised 
letters  to  him  a  Japanese  engagement !"  I  think. 
"Yes,  his  warning  of  Baron  Schevitch  indicated  that 
he  thought  he  had  the  right  to  advise  me." 

Papa  is  waiting  for  me  on  the  deck,  a  big  cigar 
in  his  mouth.  "These  Havanas  Sendai  sent  me  are 
as  bang  up  as  his  mathematics,"  says  Dad.  "I 
suppose  they  are  in  return  for  the  diamond  ring  I 
gave  him.  It  was  a  sparkler!" 

As  the  vessel  leaves  the  harbor  and  turns  its  prow 
southeast  towards  the  Inland  Sea,  I,  pacing  the  deck 
with  my  father,  remember  that  Sendai  predicted  the 
Baron  would  come  to  Manchuria.  Is  Schevitch  fol 
lowing  me? 

But  my  reflections  are  broken  in  upon  by  Papa 
remarking  in  very  serious  tones  and  in  rather  low 
whisper  so  that  we  cannot  be  overheard :  "My  daugh- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  99 

ter,  Fin  almighty  glad  you  didn't  fall  in  love  with  the 
Jap  Prince." 

"Why   so,   Papa?" 

"Because  American  women  had  better  marry  their 
own  countrymen,  and  he's  the  kind  of  a  chap  who  is 
very  likely  to  be  killed  in  the  coming  war.  That 
engineer  officer  wrould  put  his  head  into  an  exploding 
Russian  cannon  if  he  thought  it  would  do  the  Mi 
kado  any  good;  though  he'd  be  cool  enough  to  cal 
culate  range  equations  under  fire." 

"Coming  war  ?    You  think  it  is  imminent  ?" 

"I  think  it  is  certain  that  the  Japs  will  call  the 
Muscovite  bluff,"  whispers  Dad.  "That's  the  reason 
I'm  getting  to  Manchuria  in  such  a  hurry — so  as  to 
have  my  business  shipshape  when  the  storm  bursts !" 

"Why,  the  Japanese  will  never  dare  to  confront 
the  mighty  power  of  Russia !" 

"Haven't  you  ever  seen  a  bull  terrier  fly  at  a  bull  ?" 
whispers  Papa.  "Besides,  I  think  the  Japs  have  a 
pretty  fair  chance  of  winning." 

"Why  so?"  I  whisper. 

"Well,  they've  got  the  Jews  on  their  side,  and  the 
Jews  are  a  power  in  this  world.  You  just  go  into 
business  and  see.  The  Mikado'll  get  loans  slick  as 
grease  when  he  wants  them  from  the  Hebrew  bankers 
of  the  whole  world." 


EPISODE  THE  SECOND. 
MY  MASTCHUBIAN  HOUSE-PARTY. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    CURIOUS    ASPARAGUS    TRENCH. 

"Dad,,  I  am  going  to  have  a  house-party  up  at 
Polandien !" 

"Well,  I'm  darned  !"  ejaculates  Father,  leaning 
down  to  me  to  catch  my  words  over  the  roar  of  shells 
falling  into  the  fortifications  and  docks  of  Port  Ar 
thur.  Then  gazing  at  the  throng  of  refugees  that  are 
crowding  into  the  train,  he  adds  grimly:  "Your  in 
vites  will  be  accepted.  Just  at  present,  any  spot  on 
God's  earth  is  preferable  to  this  one!" 

For  the  blow  has  come !  The  little  David,  Japan, 
has  struck  the  big  Goliath,  Russia,  right  in  the  eye 
with  his  slingshot — I  mean  his  torpedoes. 

This  torpedo  business  happened  only  a  few  evenings 
ago  when  I  was  at  Madame  Stark's  fete  in  celebra 
tion  of  her  husband's  saint's  day.  Stark  commands 
the  Russian  fleet  at  Port  Arthur ;  consequently,  many 

100 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  101 

naval  officers  were  on  shore  that  evening  drinking 
the  health  of  their  hospitable  hostess. 

We  heard  the  explosions  during  the  revelry  and 
thought  it  was  torpedo  practice  by  the  Eussian  boats. 
It  was  an  hour  after  that  we  learned  three  big  war  ves 
sels  had  been  torpedoed  and  put  out  of  combat  by  the 
sudden  assault  of  the  Japanese  flotilla. 

Next  morning  I  went  up  one  of  the  big  hills  that 
overlooks  The  Tiger's  Tail  and  saw  the  Rctvizan 
beached,  the  Palladia  on  shore  and  the  Tzarevitch  dis 
abled  in  the  inner  harbor. 

Words  could  not  describe  the  savage  rage  and  yet 
extreme  astonishment  of  the  Eussian  officers  at  this 
audacious  and  unexpected  onslaught  of  what  they 
think  their  pigmy  foe.  Most  of  them  never  expected 
Japan  would  dare.  Though  Papa  has  been  looking 
forward  to  something  of  the  kind  for  months,  I  am 
certain,  by  his  rapid  and  energetic  business  prepara 
tions  and  the  manner  in  which  he  has  hurried  the 
work  of  the  Meriden  Company  on  the  bridges  he  was 
under  contract  in  Manchuria  and  collected  as  much  as 
he  could  get  out  of  the  Eussian  Vice-regal  exchequer. 

Then  came  the  bombardment,  and  Dad  immediately 
announced  to  me  that  he  would  take  me  up  to  our 
little  godown,  near  Polandien.  "There  you  will  be 
safe,  Hilda,"  he  said,  "and  can  get  your  duds  together, 


102  MY,  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

remaining  comfortably  there  while  I  close  up  my 
business  in  Manchuria  as  quickly  as  possible.  This 
country  will  soon  be  over-run  by  contesting  armies." 

Therefore  on  this  bright  February  day,  we,  at 
tended  by  Ah  Tow  and  San  Shoo,  carrying  our  port 
able  luggage,  are  getting  hastily  on  board  the  train 
which  is  standing  in  the  little  station  on  the  water 
front  of  the  town.  Our  passports  have  been  carefully 
examined  and  vised  by  the  Kussian  officials  and  I 
watch  with  some  interest  the  great  care  that  is  now 
taken  in  examining  these  documents  that  our  fellow- 
travelers  are  compelled  to  present  before  going  on  the 
train.  Especially  do  the  Czar's  policemen  look  with 
wary  eye  upon  the  papers  of  the  Chinese  coolies  and 
house  servants,  who  are  as  anxious  as  we  are  to  es 
cape  from  the  Japanese  bombardment.  Even  the  de 
scription  on  Ah  Tow's  passport,  though  he  has  been 
well  known  in  the  place  as  father's  valet  for  several 
years — and  Dad  is  quite  persona  grata  with  the  Kus 
sian  officials — is  so  carefully  compared  with  Tow's 
personal  appearance  by  two  Tartar  officials,  that  our 
Chinese  servitor  grows  rather  pallid  under  the  inspec 
tion  and  examination. 

As  they  pronounce  him  all  right,  Ah  Tow  says  more 
confidently  to  father:  "Kussian  man  tink  Chinee 
man  may  be  Japanee  man.  No  can  tell  diffelence, 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  103 

sabe!     Japanee  man  put  on  tail  and  talkee  Chinee 
lingo,  then  all  samee  Chinee  man." 

And  San  Shoo  whispers  to  me:    "Missie,  Russian 
man  belly  scared  of  Japanee  man  now  slince  they  blow 


'em  up." 


"Stop  your  Chinese  jabber !"  commands  Papa  sav 
agely  to  our  attendants,  "and  hustle  those  things 
aboard  the  train." 

This  is  very  shortly  done  and  we  follow  our  im 
pedimenta  quite  hurriedly,  for  a  big  shell  from  some 
Japanese  war  vessel  has  burst  in  the  Eastern  basin 
not  half  a  mile  from  us. 

We  have  hardly  squeezed  on  board  the  crowded  car 
before  the  engineer,  who  seems  to  be  in  a  hurry,  gives 
two  sharp  whistles  from  one  of  the  American  loco 
motives  that  Papa  has  furnished  to  the  Manchurian 
railway,  and  our  train,  following  the  little  river, 
climbs  the  steep  gradient  that  leads  us  from  the  land 
locked  port  up  to  the  higher  hilly  plateau  of  the  pen 
insula.  Here  we  turn  to  the  north  and  dart  off  upon 
the  long  line  of  rails  that  lead  to  Niuchwang  or  to 
more  distant  Harbin  and  the  Trans-Siberian  railway 
that  would  take  one  to  Eussia  itself. 

As  the  noise  of  the  bombardment  diminishes  gradu 
ally  in  the  distance,  the  conversation  in  the  first-class 
car  in  which  we  are  seated  commences  to  be  more 


104  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

audible.  This  is  a  polyglot  of  half  a  dozen  different 
languages,  from  German,  French,  English,  Russian 
and  Tartar  merchants,  with  a  little  Mandarin  Chinese 
thrown  in  from  a  Taotai  of  some  North  Manchurian 
town  addressed  to  his  accompanying  secretaries,  whose 
excited  jabber  shows  that  they  are  very  anxious  to 
leave  the  vicinity  of  shot  and  shell. 

An  hour  after  we  are  at  Dalny  Junction.  Here 
our  already  overcrowded  train  receives  more  pas 
sengers  from  the  seaport  that  Russia  intends  to  make 
the  terminal  of  its  Asiatic  railroads. 

During  this  Dad,  who  has  been  apparently  turning 
over  my  house-party  announcement  in  his  mind,  says 
to  me:  "That's  not  a  bad  idea  of  yours,  Hilda,  to 
have  company  up  at  our  godown,  for  I've  got  to  go 
almost  immediately  up  to  Harbin  to  collect  what 
money  I  can  from  the  Vice-regal  treasury  before  our 
exodus.  Whom  have  you  invited  ?  Are  any  of  them 
on  the  train  with  us  ?" 

"No,"  I  reply.  "My  idea  came  to  me  in  a  hurry. 
I  only  had  time  to  ask  Madame  Sophie  Klinkofstrom. 
I  took  pity  on  her.  You  know  how  she  dreads  the 
shells,  and  her  brother,  the  Russian  inspector  of  the 
port,  cannot  leave.  With  her  will  come  Olga  Pe- 
trofsky,  the  pretty  sister  of  the  Russian  Captain  who 
commands  at  Polandien,  and  Johnny  Bristow,  the 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  105 

agent  of  the  big  Rhode  Island  cotton  mills,  who  says 
he  has  to  go  back  to  Dalny  again  on  Monday  to  clear 
up  two  or  three  transactions  and  deals  before  he 
lights  out  to  Niuchwang." 

"Anyone  else?" 

"No,"  I  reply.  "That's  all  we  can  entertain  com 
fortably." 

"Humph,  I'm  glad  you  didn't  ask  that  Baron  Sche- 
vitch,  wTho  has  been  running  after  you  so  much." 

Half  an  hour  after  the  train  has  left  the  Dalny 
Junction  I  look  out  towards  the  north.  The  railway 
runs  generally  along  a  high  escarpment.  On  my  left 
is  Kin  Chow  bay ;  between  us  and  the  water  is  the  line 
of  telegraph  poles;  an  occasional  culvert  of  masonry 
or  short  bridge  across  some  little  stream  are  the  only 
variations  in  the  road  bed.  Upon  my  right  the  barren 
hills  have  but  little  timber  upon  them,  only  occasional 
evidences  of  cultivation  and  considerable  snow. 

Crossing  a  narrow  neck  of  land  we  reach  Kin-chow, 
and  passing  further  inland,  the  peninsula  broadens 
and  we  lose  our  view  of  the  water.  Two  hours  after 
leaving  Dalny  we  reach  the  little  valley  where  our 
godown  is  nestled  on  the  hillside  beside  the  swiftly 
running  river,  which  is  swollen  with  snow  water. 
It  is  the  largest  stream  crossing  the  railroad  between 
Haicheng  and  Port  Arthur. 


106  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

We  rattle  over  the  bridge,  stop  at  the  little  railroad 
station  and  five  minutes  after,  to  the  astonishment  of 
the  two  Chinese  servants  we  have  left  in  charge,  we 
make  our  unexpected  appearance  at  the  godown— 
which  is  wooden,  of  one  story,  rambling  but  home 
like.  It  consists  of  parlor  and  dining  room,  separated 
by  a  wide  hall;  beyond  this  is  a  big  wing,  in  which 
are  situated  my  bedroom  and  Dad's ;  another  ell  at  the 
other  end  of  the  house  contains  more  bedrooms,  while 
a  rambling  attachment  to  the  dining  room  is  com 
posed  of  a  butler's  pantry,  kitchens,  offices  and  ser 
vants'  rooms.  We  had  spent  the  autumn  months  here 
and  soon  feel  quite  at  home  in  our  old  resting-place. 
Superintended  by  Ah  Tow,  the  Chinese  boys  rush 
about  and  we  have  an  early  and  pleasant  dinner. 

"By  the  bye,"  Dad  says  as  he  smokes  his  cigar  after 
the  meal,  "what  are  you  going  to  give  your  house- 
party  to  eat  ?" 

"Canned  goods !"  I  answer  sententiously.  "We 
have  plenty  of  them  here — canned  chicken  and  canned 
turkey,  patc-dc-foiegras  and  French  peas,  American 
canned  corn  and  asparagus,  canned  salmon  from 
Oregon  and — plenty  of  champagne  !  Besides,  our 
Chinese  gardeners  are  so  expert  with  their  hotbeds 
that,  who  knows,  I  may  be  able  to  put  before  my 
guests  some  early  cucumbers  and  salad  lettuce." 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  107 

"Not  for  a  month  or  two,"  laughs  Dad,  "and -we 
will  have  skipped  in  less  than  a  week,  daughter."  Tak 
ing  a  contemplative  whiff  of  his  cigar,  he  continues : 
"The  more  I  think  of  it,  the  better  pleased  I  am  at 
your  house-party,  Hilda,  because  to-morrow  I  am 
compelled  to  leave  you  for  Harbin.  When  I  return 
from  there  you  must  be  packed  and  ready,  for  off  we 
go  to  Niuchwang  and  Yankeeland." 

"Yes,  but  are  you  not  compelled  to  stop  on  your 
way  to  San  Francisco  at  Tokyo,  on  account  of  your 
Japanese  contracts?"  I  suggest. 

Papa  looks  at  me  a  moment  rather  searchingly; 
then  whispers  cautiously,  for  even  our  Chinese  ser 
vants  have  ears:  "Any  letter  from  your  Japanese 
friend  ?" 

"Not  for  a  month,"  I  reply,  "though  I  wrote  to  the 
Prince  three  weeks  ago." 

"Well,  don't  write  any  more,"  remarks  Dad  in  my 
ear.  "You  letters  would  probably  be  inspected  by  the 
postal  authorities  now." 

"I  think  they  have  been  before,  Papa,"  I  say. 

"The  dickens !" 

"Yes,  a  curious  remark  from  Baron  Schevitch  as 
we  danced  at  Madame  Stark's  entertainment  made 
me  think  that  he  had  seen  my  handwriting  in  an 
envelope  addressed  to " 


108  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Papa  stops  my  outspoken  words  by  putting  his 
fingers  on  my  lips. 

Taking  his  hint,  my  voice  is  very  low  as  I  con 
tinue:  "I  had  suspected  something  of  this  kind  be 
fore,  so  my  last  few  letters  were  enclosed  in  your  busi 
ness  correspondence  to  your  agent  in  Shanghai  and 
forwarded  from  that  palace  to  Tokyo." 

"All  right,"  remarks  father.  "I've  two  or  three 
letters  now  to  get  ready  for  the  foreign  mail.  By  the 
way,  Yaling  can  probably  obtain  something  fresh 
in  the  way  of  meat  or  vegetables  for  your  house- 
party."  He  claps  his  hands  and,  Ah  Tow  entering, 
commands:  "Yaling!  Sabe!  Heap  quick!" 

"Yaling?  Heap  quick?  Me  sabe!"  replies  his 
factotum  and  shuffles  off  in  his  noiseless,  felt-padded 
Chinese  shoes. 

As   he   does   so,   Dad   observes:    "Beckon   Yalin^ 

o 

will  fix  you  as  to  meat," 

"Indeed,  I  know  he  will  if  any  human  being  can," 
I  answer  confidently.  Yaling  is  the  Chinese  magis 
trate  and  acts  as  militia  officer,  judge,  chief  of  intelli 
gence,  head  of  the  commissary  department  and  gen 
eral  Pooh-Bah  of  the  village.  For  the  last  three  years 
if  I  wanted  anything  in  the  place  from  a  horse  to  a 
watermelon,  I  went  to  Yaling  and  the  necessary  ar 
ticle  was  forthcoming. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  109 

Then  father  leaves  me  to  go  to  his  bedroom  and 
devote  himself  to  his  business  correspondence,  which 
he  generally  writes  with  his  own  hand;  consequently 
I  sit  down  in  my  pleasantly  but  unpretentiously  fur 
nished  parlor  and,  having  nothing  better  to  do,  gaze 
out  at  the  winter  prospect. 

There  is  only  a  trace  of  snow  upon  the  ground; 
the  thermometer  is  just  at  freezing  at  night,  the  sun 
in  the  daytime  being  quite  pleasantly  warm,  the  winds 
from  the  Liao-tung  Gulf  being  generally  mild.  The 
hills  above  us  appear  barren,  though  scattered 
among  their  undulations  are  fields  that  in  the  spring 
will  become  green  with  the  long-stalked  gow-Uang, 
the  Chinese  giant  millet,  also  some  plantations  of 
evergreen  Manchurian  larches  and  Siberian  pines.  A 
little  thicket  of  these  is  also  in  the  corner  of  our  gar 
den,  which  runs  down  to  the  river  bank.  Its  fruit- 
trees  are  bare  of  leaves  now,  but  the  larches  and  ever 
green  pines  screen  the  grounds  from  the  eyes  of  pas 
sengers  on  the  trains.  In  these  under  the  sheltered 
bank  of  the  river  are  the  hotbeds  of  our  Chinese  gar 
deners,  from  which  we  have  been  regaled  in  former 
times  by  early  cucumbers,  celery,  radishes  and  let 
tuce. 

About  these  hotbeds,  as  I  look  dreamily  out  of  the 
window,  I  can  see  a  coolie  working.  Beyond  them 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

rushes  the  little  river.  I  note  as  I  gaze  upon  it  that 
it  is  quite  a  deep  and  rapid  stream  now,  there  having 
been  melting  snows  in  the  hills  above  us. 

From  the  southern  bank  of  the  river  runs  the  rail 
way  to  Dalny  and  Port  Arthur,  the  assaulted  citadel 
of  the  Russians;  from  its  northern  bank,  the  lines 
of  rails  and  telegraph  wires  to  Mukden,  Harbin,  Ir 
kutsk  and  St.  Petersburg,  five  thousand  miles  away. 

Connecting  these  two  sections  of  railway  is  the 
bridge  that  crosses  the  little  river  with  its  iron  gird 
ers,  stone  piers  and  masonry  abutments.  A  big  iron 
tank  for  watering  locomotives  is  standing  near  its 
southern  abutment,  perched  -on  a  strong  timber  fram 
ing. 

Over  this  structure,  Dad  has  told  me,  must  now 
come  all  the  supplies,  munitions  of  war  and  men  to 
the  Russian  beleaguered  citadel,  because  already  Port 
Arthur  is  blockaded  by  the  Japanese  fleet. 

Apparently  the  Russians  value  this  bridge  quite 
highly  and  are  determined  to  protect  it  from  any  un 
expected  raid  of  the  Hun-hu-tzes,  or  Chinese  bandits, 
who,  coincident  with  the  Japanese  attack,  have  be 
come  bolder  and  more  restless  and  aggressive.  De 
tails  from  the  two  companies  of  infantry  in  the  near 
by  village  are  stationed  at  each  end  of  the  bridge;  be- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  111 

sides,  the  usual  Cossack  and  military  police  patrols 
have  been  doubled. 

As  I  gaze  out,  I  hear  the  whistle  of  a  train  which 
comes  into  sight  from  the  north  and  crosses  the 
bridge  laden  down  with  a  Russian  regiment  to  rein 
force  the  garrison  at  Port  Arthur,  and  wonder  with  a 
little  laugh  how  the  Japanese  engineer  officer  would 
like  the  use  it  is  being  put  to  now.  I  remember  how 
I  used  to  call  it  "Sendai's  Bridge/'  and  my  thoughts 
wander  to  my  Tokyo  suitor  and  the  letters  he  had 
written  me. 

Our  correspondence  had  proceeded  quite  pleasantly, 
averaging  perhaps  a  letter  every  three  weeks,  during 
these  four  months,  for  it  is  now  well  into  February. 
In  order  to  avoid  sentiment,  for  I  fear  the  poor  Prince 
thinks  my  letters  mean  engagement,  I  have  tried  to 
devote  myself  to  the  gossip  of  the  place  about  me.  I 
have  written  him  of  the  various  entertainments  given 
by  the  Russian  officials  and  the  reviews  inspected  by 
Alexeieff,  Viceroy  of  all  the  Russian  East.  In  addi 
tion,  I  have  not  omitted  one  or  two  little  entertain 
ments  given  by  myself,  and  have  permitted  him  to 
know  that  the  Americansky  young  lady,  whoso  father 
gets  so  many  paper  roubles  from  the  Russian  govern 
ment,  is  quite  run  after  by  the  young  officers  of  the 
Army  and  Navy  in  Port  Arthur. 


112  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

But  my  accounts  of  Russian  followers  have  not  pre 
vented  a  tinge  of  sentiment,  carefully  hidden  perhaps, 
being  in  Sendai's  letters  to  me.  They  have  invariably 
commenced:  "Hoping  that  your  esteemed  health 
is  good  notwithstanding  the  winter  weather/'  How 
continually  anxious  the  Prince  is  about  my  well  be 
ing  !  And  his  epistles  have  always  ended :  "Thanking 
you  for  the  kind  consideration  of  your  lines  that  have 
made  the  winter  sun  a  summer  sun  to  Sendai." 

Dad  has  told  me  this  is  the  Japanese  method  of 
polite  address  in  letters,  but  I  discern  the  hidden  pas 
sion  of  the  man.  I  remember  Sendai's  look  when  I 
left  him  and  his  strong  moustache  brushed  my  wrist. 
Besides,  the  present  he  gave  me,  I  now  discover,  is 
one  worthy  of  a  princess.  Such  a  magnificent  piece 
of  Japanese  art  can  hardly  be  met  with  out  of  their 
national  museums  or  Prince  Mito's  marvelous  collec 
tion.  They  say  it  is  more  valuable  than  a  big  ruby. 

But  as  I  reflect  upon  my  last  letter  of  nearly  four 
weeks  ago  to  Sendai,  I  give  a  sudden  start — I  remem 
ber  I  had  described  the  forthcoming  fete  of  Madame 
Stark,  the  wife  of  the  Admiral  of  the  fleet;  told  him 
of  the  magnificent  costume  just  arrived  for  me  from 
Paris,  and  how  I  thought  most  of  the  naval  officers 
would  be  on  shore  that  evening  to  drink  their  officer's 
health,  even  giving  him  the  date  of  the  festivity.  Can 


MY,  JAPANESE  PRINCE  113 

my  communication  have  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
time  selected  for  the  Japanese  attack  that  night  with 
torpedo  boats?  I  hope  not.  I  want  to  be  neutral 
in  this  awful  war.  The  Russians  have  been  very 
kind  to  me  here  and  I  have  a  great  many  friends 
among  them. 

By  this  time,  Dad  having  finished  his  letters,  re 
turns  to  me,  and  a  minute  or  two  after  Ah  Tow  ushers 
in  with  many  salaams,  Yaling,  the  head  Chinese  of 
ficial  of  the  village. 

Yaling  is  a  dark,  lithe,  skinny,  athletic  man, 
like  most  of  the  Manchurian  Chinese.  From  his 
close-shaven  crown  hangs  a  long  black  queue.  Be 
neath  his  broad  yellow  forehead,  sharp  little  Tartar 
eyes  twinkle  and  roll  about  with  the  peculiar  restless 
motion  of  a  rat-catching  cat. 

As  he  bows  low  to  me  and  my  father,  though  the 
lamplight  is  not  very  bright  in  the  room,  these  blink 
as  if  the  illumination  were  too  strong  for  him,  and  as 
he  speaks  there  is  a  restless,  nervous  tone  in  his  pidgin 
English  that  is  unusual  to  Yaling,  who  generally  has 
a  placid,  easy-going  appearance. 

"Well,  old  friend,"  says  Dad  pleasantly,  "what  can 
you  do  for  us  in  the  matter  of  fresh  meat  and  vege 
tables?" 

"Why  you  clum  slo  quick,  Missie  Almstlong?    ISTo 


114  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

had  notification  I"  the  Chinaman  answers,  a  discon^ 
certed  annoyance  in  his  tone.  Apparently  our  sud 
den  arrival  has  embarrassed  the  village  official,  who 
has  always  looked  very  carefully  after  the  creature 
comforts  of  the  great  American  contractor.  From  his 
intercourse  with  the  Yankee  mechanics  who  have 
erected  the  bridges  along  the  line,  Yaling  sometimes 
introduces  three-syllable  words  that  seem  out  of  place 
in  the  usual  pidgin  English  in  which  he  addresses  us. 

"Yes,"  I  say  eagerly,  "Yaling,  you  must  get  us 
something  nice.  I  have  friends  coming." 

He  blinks  his  eyes  at  me  again  as  he  half  stammers : 
"You  hab  fiends  clum  too?" 

"Yes,  three  or  four  from  Port  Arthur,"  answers 
Dad. 

"No  likee  Japanese  cannon  ball,"  mutters  Yaling, 
an  uncanny  yet  cautious  merriment  dancing  in  his 
Mongolian  eyes. 

"But  the  fresh  meat!"  ejaculates  Dad,  keeping  to 
his  subject. 

"How  can  tell?  Bullock  all  eatee  by  Eussian  of 
ficer.  Hun-hu-tzes — you  sabe  bad  men  up  in  hills  ? — 
kill  too  many  clows." 

"But  the  meat !"  remarks  father  urgently. 

"You  sabe  sheep-meat?"  mutters  the  Mongolian. 

"Yes,  get  some !" 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  115 

"All  lightee;  little  sheep  meat!" 

"What  ?  Lamb !"  That  will  be  delightful !"  I  ejac 
ulate. 

"To-morrow  morning,,  little  sheep  meat;  you  sabe, 
him  clum!"  and  apparently  not  overanxious  to  pro 
long  the  interview,  fearing  perhaps  that  more  may  be 
demanded  of  him,  Yaling  with  a  low  bow  moves  to 
wards  the  door. 

But  I,  by  this  success  made  eager  for  more  good 
things  for  my  guests,  cry  out  to  him:  "Fresh  vege 
tables  !  You  sabe,  fresh  vegetables !" 

Yaling  looks  at  me  helplessly,  then  goes  to  the  win 
dow  and  points  out  at  the  snow  upon  the  hills,  shrugs 
his  shoulders  and  mutters :  "No  can  get  \" 

"But  something/'  I  plead;  "something  for  salad. 
You  sabe  salad?" 

"Yes ;  sweet  and  sour ;  no  good." 

I  have  followed  Yaling  to  the  window.  Papa  comes 
after  us.  Looking  out  on  the  scene  on  which  twi 
light  is  rapidly  descending,  father  remarks:  "Don't 
you  think  you  can  get  something  from  our  Chinese 
gardener  there  with  the  hotbeds  in  the  bottom  of  the 
garden  ?"  adding :  "He  seems  to  be  doing  a  good  deal 
of  work  down  there.  Judging  by  the  amount  of  dirt 
dug  up,  he's  more  ambitious  this  season  that  I've  ever 
seen  him  before." 


116  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

At  this,  Yaling's  eyes  contract  like  a  cat's  at  night, 
then  almost  close.  Suddenly  they  open  very  wide 
as  he  exclaims:  "You  sabe  sparaglass?" 

"Certainly,"  I  cry  in  rapture,  "asparagus !" 

"Sparaglass,  two  months  !  Him  dig  deep  big  spara- 
glass-trench ;  belly  deep,  plenty  of  manure,  spara 
glass  bed  good,  tlee  years." 

"Three  years !  Much  good  that  will  do  me,"  I  re 
mark  dejectedly;  then  plead:  "You  must  get  me 
something — radishes." 

Yaling  gives  a  gesture  of  impotence ;  then  abruptly 
answers:  "Watercless,  sabe!  Him  up  liver;  water- 
cless!" 

"Oh,  watercress  for  salad.  Thank  you,"  I  return 
gratefully,  as  Yaling,  seeming  to  wish  to  close  the 
interview,  bows  his  way  nervously  to  the  door. 

"By  the  bye,"  remarks  Dad,  "the  new  gardener 
you've  got  for  me,  Yaling,  seems  to  be  a  hustler.  As 
I  wrote  my  letters,  I  chanced  to  glance  out  there  and 
I  never  saw  a  coolie  work  so  spry  before." 

"Yes,  workem  hard!  Do  eblyting  for  'Melican 
fiends,"  grins  Yaling,  whose  eyes  seem  to  twinkle 
anxiously,  probably  because  he  thinks  I  will  demand 
some  other  impossibility  from  him. 

As  he  goes  away,  Dad  chuckles:  "No  wonder  he 
was  scared.  I  guess  Yaling  feared  you  would  be  de- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  117 

manding  water  and  musk  melons  from  him  in  Feb 
ruary.  But  you'll  have  the  little  sheep  meat,  you  can 
bet  your  bottom  dollar.  Yaling  never  broke  his  word 
to  me  yet." 

Then  this  domestic  complication  being  arranged, 
I  try  to  forget  the  Japanese  war  by  looking  through 
a  recent  novel  Dad  had  had  forwarded  from  Mu- 
chwang,  and  that  being  finished,  have  nothing  to  do 
but  to  go  to  bed.  I  pass  a  very  comfortable  night,  my 
slumbers  only  being  interrupted  by  the  noise  of  three 
or  four  trains  rushing  past  our  grounds  on  the  rail 
way  bound  south  for  Port  Arthur. 

The  next  morning  Papa  arouses  me  bright  and  early 
so  that  I  may  run  down  with  him  after  breakfast  to 
the  little  station  in  the  village  and  bid  him  adieu 
when  he  takes  the  train  for  Harbin. 

As  we  descend  the  narrow  path  that  leads  from 
our  grounds,  he  tells  me  that  he  leaves  Ah  Tow,  his 
valet,  to  take  care  of  me. 

"Oh,  Papa,"  I  reply  to  this,  "don't  have  any  fear 
of  me.  The  Chinese  servants  about  the  place  have 
been  in  our  employ  for  several  years  and  there  are  two 
companies  of  Eussian  soldiers  in  the  village  to  look 
after  the  Hun-hu-tzes  should  they  come  down  from 
the  hills." 

"That's  all  right/'  answers  Dad.     "If  you  want 


118  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

anything  out  of  the  ordinary,  call  upon  Yaling  and 
he'll  do  everything  for  you.  Besides/'  he  adds, 
"you  won't  be  lonely  very  long.  The  house-party  will 
be  up  in  the  afternoon.  No  doubt  they'll  get  out  of 
Port  Arthur  quick  enough." 

"Oh,  Madame  Klinkofstrom  and  Olga  spent  last 
night  at  Dalny,"  I  answer.  "Sophie  said  she'd  die  if 
she  stayed  another  day  under  the  Japanese  guns !" 

"Yes,  she's  a  weak  little  woman,"  remarks  Papa, 
"not  like  my  strong-souled  daughter,"  and  pats  me 
reassuringly  on  the  shoulder;  for  I  am  tearful  at  the 
thought  of  his  leaving  me. 

By  this  time  we  are  among  the  Cossack  guards 
along  the  railway,  and  three  minutes  after  are  at  the 
little  station.  Here  young  Captain  Petrofsky  in  the 
uniform  of  his  Siberian  regiment  comes  up  to  us, 
and  I  tell  him  his  sister  is  expected  in  the  afternoon. 

"It's  very  kind  in  you,  Miss  Armstrong,  to  ask  my 
sister  to  visit  you,"  he  remarks.  "I  can  probably  get 
time  to-morrow  afternoon  to  run  up  and  see  you  and 
her  for  a  little  while.  I  have  been  anxious  about  Olga, 
fearing  that  some  accursed  Japanese  shell  might  in 
jure  her." 

Then  Petrofsky  tells  Papa  in  his  affable  way: 
"Monsieur  Armstrong,  I  and  my  Russian  soldiers  will 
see  no  harm  comes  to  Mademoiselle,  Besides,  Colonel 


MY  'JAPANESE  PRINCE  119 

Genke,  the  head  of  all  our  railway  police,  will  be 
here  to-morrow.  Have  no  fear  for  your  daughter. 
She  shall  be  the  care  of  Petrofsky." 

This  makes  Dad  look  very  comfortable  as  he  shakes 
hands  with  the  young  Eussian  officer,  takes  my  good 
bye  kiss  and  forces  his  way  onto  the  train  that,  having 
just  come  up  from  Port  Arthur  and  Dalny,  is  already 
crowded  with  non-combatant  refugees. 

As  Papa  does  so,  an  official  steps  up  and,  though  he 
knows  my  father  very  well,  asks  him  for  his  passport 
and  examines  it. 

Gazing  upon  the  scene,  I  note  how  carefully  the 
Eussian  officials  are  of  their  inspection  of  all  outgoing 
travelers,  especially  the  Chinese. 

In  answer  to  my  rather  inquiring  glance,  Petrofsky 
says  shortly :  "We  fear  Japanese  spies,  that  is  all.  It 
is  rumored  that  Japanese  officers  are  now  among  the 
peasantry  and  the  bandits  all  up  the  Liao-tung  Eiver 
inciting  them  to  attack  and  destroy  the  railroad/' 

Then  the  young  officer,  after  a  few  words  of  warn 
ing  to  the  lieutenant  who  is  with  him,  gallantly  es 
corts  me  across  the  bridge  and  by  its  sentries; 
then  up  the  path  to  the  gate  of  our  compound.  Here 
he  bids  me  adieu,  thanking  me  again  for  inviting 
his  sister  to  a  place  of  refuge. 

Then  I  am  left  alone  with  only  my  music,  piano 


120  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

and  two  or  three  of  the  latest  novels  for  company; 
but  I  have  too  much  to  do  in  preparing  for  my  com 
ing  guests  to  think  of  them  for  the  present. 

Attended  by  Ah  Tow,  I  examine  the  larder.  Bless 
ings  on  him!  Yaling  has  kept  his  Chinese  word. 
Little  sheep  meat  is  here  in  the  form  of  two  spring 
lambs.  American  fashion,  Dad  has  an  ice-house. 
This  is  already  filled  so  that  the  lambs  will  keep  as 
long  as  we  want  them.  Besides,  Yaling  has  sent  me 
for  my  parlor  and  dining  table  a  lot  of  those  bulb 
daisies  and  tulips  that  the  Chinese  raise  winter  or 
summer.  The  watercresses  are  also  at  my  hand. 

Preparing  for  my  house-party,  I  am  busy  all  of  the 
forenoon  and  some  of  the  afternoon.  During  my 
peregrinations  about  the  house,  Ah  Tow,  who  has  be 
come  my  shadow,  startles  me  by  some  additional  war 
news. 

Coming  closely  to  me,  he  rubs  his  hands  together 
and  a  benign  smile  lights  up  his  Mongolian  counte 
nance,  though  there  is  a  malicious  sparkle  in  his  al 
mond  eyes  as  he  whispers :  "Jappies  give  ?em  to  Rus- 
gies — in  le  neck — woncie  more !  Two  times  I" 

"What  I"  I  gasp,  and  stare  at  him  astonished  as  he 
in  his  Chinese  lingo  tells  me  under  his  breath  the 
first  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  Variag  and  an- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  121 

other  Russian  gunboat  at  Chemulpo,,  over  three  hun 
dred  miles  away. 

How  Ah  Tow  has  heard  it  I  cannot  guess,  but  in 
some  mysterious  manner  news  appears  to  pass  about 
among  the  Chinese  population  with  tremendous  ra 
pidity  all  over  Manchuria,  and  at  every  blow  Japan 
strikes,  the  eyes  of  the  Mongolian  population  seem  to 
grow  brighter  and  their  smiles  more  placidly  benign. 
Gracious,  how  they  all  hate  the  Russians !  Is  it  be 
cause,  three  years  ago,  Muscovite  soldiers,  under  the 
Boxer  plea,  butchered  and  massacred  them  like  sheep 
all  up  and  down  the  Liao  River  valley,  or  is  it  be 
cause  of  AlexeiefFs  proclamation,  just  issued,  that  de 
crees  that  whenever  a  Russian  party  is  attacked  by 
bandits,  the  nearest  village  shall  be  destroyed  unless 
its  inhabitants  attack  and  deliver  over  to  them  the 
Hun-hu-tzes  that  are  now  scrambling  all  over  this 
country  ? 

Though  Dad  has  told  me  there  is  some  reason  in  the 
edict,  as  a  flying  bandit  will  plunge  into  a  field  of  the 
long-stalked  millet  and  throwing  away  his  arms, 
come  out  on  the  other  side  as  innocent  a  Chinese  coolie 
as  ever  wore  a  pigtail. 

Anyway,  the  native  population  of  Manchuria  hate 
the  Russians  and  will  do  anything  to  aid  the  Japanese. 

My  preparations  for  my  guests  being  completed, 


122  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

after  a  solitary  lunch,  during  which  I  sigh  for  mascu 
line  company,  I  dawdle  away  the  rest  of  the  day  by 
singing  a  little,  playing  a  little  and  reading  a  few 
chapters  of  a  new  novel,  though  the  noises  coming 
into  my  windows  tell  me  how  busy  the  war  has  made 
the  railroad.  Where  there  had  been  four  trains,  a 
dozen  now  rattle  across  the  bridge  and  roll  towards  the 
south  laden  with  soldiers,  war  materials  and  provi 
sions.  Those  returning  northward  are  empty  of 
goods,  but  are  full  of  people  escaping  from  the  horrors 
of  the  Port  Arthur  bombardment. 

Finally,  the  sun  beginning  to  sink  in  the  west,  I 
look  at  my  watch  and  discover  that  the  train  bearing 
my  expected  guests  will,  in  all  probability,  soon  arrive 
at  the  little  station.  It  occurs  to  me  I  will  go  to  meet 
them. 

To  do  this,  I  have  to  pass  through  our  garden, 
which  in  the  summertime  was  made  pretty  by  flowers, 
blossoms  of  fruit  trees  and  the  green  of  its  vegetable 
patches,  but  is  now  bare  and  leafless  except  the  clump 
of  evergreens  near  the  river. 

I  am  soon  at  the  little  gate  that  leads  out  upon  the 
railway  track  by  the  side  of  the  huge  water-tank  that 
adjoins  the  big  masonry  abutment  of  the  bridge;  near 
this  is  stationed  a  squad  of  infantry.  As  the  ser 
geant  in  charge  respectfully  salutes  me,  I  chance  to 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  123 

glance  down  towards  the  bank  of  the  river  where, 
sheltered  by  the  evergreens  from  railroad  observa 
tion,  my  Chinese  gardener  is  at  work  upon  the  hot 
beds  and  asparagus  trench. 

"Mercy!"  I  mentally  exclaim,  "what  a  pile  of 
manure  he  has  accumulated !  He  is  going  to  make 
a  very  big  asparagus  bed.  Does  he  think  we'll  start 
a  cannery?" 

Then  not  caring  to  loiter  about  the  station,  with 
its  dirty  coolies,  prying  military  police  and  Cossack 
patrols,  I  think  I  will  kill  time  until  I  hear  the  whistle 
of  the  train  by  a  look  at  my  hotbeds. 

As  I  reach  the  spot,  screened  by  the  evergreens  from 
the  railroad  track,  and  stand  beside  my  hotbeds,  I  see 
to  my  rage,  that  no  early  vegetables  have  been  planted 
under  their  glass  frames.  Apparently,  the  asparagus 
trench  has  received  our  gardener's  entire  attention. 
This  is  indicated  by  the  enormous  pile  of  manure  he 
has  collected  to  fill  it,  though  the  trench  itself  doesn't 
seem  so  extraordinarily  long  or  remarkably  deep. 

Waiting  for  the  train,  I  seat  myself  on  a  drift  log 
by  the  bank  of  the  cool  flowing  river  and  quite  close 
to  the  manure  pile.  After  I  have  carelessly  thrown  a 
pebble  or  two  into  the  swift  running  water,  I  listlessly 
prod  with  my  parasol  the  big  dungheap  and  am  as 
tonished  to  discover  it  is  only  a  large  mound  of  freshly 


124:  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

excavated  mould  carefully  protected  from  frost  by  a 
covering  of  warm  fertilizer.  What  wondrous  care 
these  Chinese  gardeners  take  to  keep  the  earth  moist 
and  prevent  its  freezing  before  they  replace  it  in  the 
trench. 

I  am  about  to  turn  away,  trip  up  the  little  path  and 
depart  for  the  station  to  meet  my  friends,  for  I  now 
hear  the  distant  whistle  of  the  train.  But  at  this 
moment  I  chance  to  catch  sight  of  our  gardener  work 
ing  quietly,  but  rapidly,  with  a  pick  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  trench  nearest  the  railway.  As  the  left 
arm  of  the  Chinese  coolie  covered  with  dirt  comes 
into  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  I  see  upon  it  near  the 
wrist  a  pocket  compass  tattooed  in  red  ink.  Tattoo 
marks  on  coolie  skins  are  not  at  all  uncommon,  though 
they  are  generally  representations  of  dragons,  birds 
and  other  Chinese  fetiches.  But  this  compass  seems 
to  remind  me  of  something  I  have  seen  before,  though 
for  the  moment  I  cannot  remember  it. 

Stepping  to  the  end  of  the  trench,  which,  screened 
by  the  thick  foliage  of  the  larches  and  evergreen 
pines,  is  quite  close  to  the  railway  bridge  abutment, 
I  demand  in  English :  "You,  man  with  the  red  com 
pass,  haven't  I  seen  you  before  ?" 

For  a  moment  the  stooping  figure  appears  to  rise 
to  answer  me.  Then  it  doggedly  continues  its  work. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  125 

"Hi,  down  there!"  I  call,  "you  coolie!"  and  the 
working  figure  paying  no  attention  to  me,  I  cry  im 
periously  :  "You,  I  mean !"  for  I  am  accustomed  to 
be  obeyed  by  my  Chinese  servants,  "here,  jump  out  of 
that  ditch  and  tell  me  why  you've  not  planted  my  hot 
beds!  I  am  sure  you  sabe  English!"  And  he 
not  answering  me,  I  reach  down  indignant  at  the  in 
solence  of  the  Chinaman,  for  these  coolies  are  usually 
obsequious,  and  grabbing  the  creature  by  his  pigtail, 
yank  it  with  all  my  might  to  compel  his  attention. 

I  stagger  back  with  a  short,  astonished  cry,  for  the 
long  Chinese  queue  under  my  vigorous  pluck  has 
come  off  in  my  hand.  Then  the  coolie's  face  is  up 
turned  to  mine  and  looks  me  straight  in  the  eyes.  His 
glance,  at  first  agonized  and  appealing,  suddenly  be 
comes  appalling  in  imperious  command. 

Gazing  at  him,  I  nearly  faint.  For  minus  its  dis 
guising  pigtail,  though  begrimed  with  dirt  and  cov 
ered  with  the  sweat  of  toil,  I  recognize  the  face  of — 
Prince  Okashi  Sendai! 

Then  he  places  warning  finger  to  his  lips,  and  un 
heeding  the  questioning  of  my  eyes,  becomes  once 
more  the  Chinese  coolie  slaving  in  the  asparagus 
trench. 

Fortunately  in  my  astonishment  I  have  dropped 
the  queue  back  into  the  ditch,  for  before  I  can  address 


126  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

him  and  ask  the  meaning  of  his  astounding  presence 
in  Manchuria,  I  hear  the  gate  of  the  garden  open 
and  see  my  house-party  headed  by  Sophie  Klinkof- 
strom  coming  into  the  compound.  By  her  side,  to  my 
astonishment  and  dismay,  strolls  Baron  Serge  Sche- 
vitch.  Fortunately  he  stops  to  brush  the  mud  off  his 
boots  before  he  approaches  me. 

During  these  short  moments,  the  awful  truth 
flashes  in  my  brain;  "Prince  Sendai  has  journeyed 
to  Manchuria  for  love  of  me.  There  can  be  no  other 
reason.  In  order  to  meet  me,  he  has  naturally  come 
to  our  bungalow.  And  now,  cut  off  by  the  sudden 
outbreak  of  the  war,  the  poor  fellow  for  his  own 
safety  has  been  compelled  to  assume  the  disguise  of 
a  Chinese  coolie. 

"What  will  men  not  do  for  love  I" 


CHAPTER  V. 

YALING,  THE  CHINESE  MAGISTRATE. 

As  this  darts  through  my*  mind,  I  run  hastily  up 
the  garden  path  to  prevent  my  guests  coming  down  to 
the  asparagus  trench.  I  remember  the  words  of 
Sendai  to  me  in  Tokyo  in  regard  to  the  Baron's  occu 
pation  and  a  little  tremor  runs  through  my  limbs  as 
I  internally  shudder:  "If  the  Russians  catch  Sendai 
here,  they  will  execute  him  as  a  spy.  My  God !  Fancy 
a  prince  condemned  to  ignoble  death  simply  because 
he  loves  me  too  well  to  remain  from  my  side !" 

With  quick  steps,  I  contrive  to  meet  my  party  close 
to  the  gate;  and  greeting  them  with  considerable 
savoir  faire,  listen  to  Sophie  Ivlinkofstrom's  tale  of 
woe  about  the  Japanese  bombardment,  and  pretty 
Olga  Petrofsky's  anxious  inquiries  as  to  her  brother, 
the  Captain. 

As  we  walk  up  to  the  house,  Johnny  Bristow  tells 

me  a  story  of  an  exploding  Japanese  shell  in  the  big 

pile  of  vodka  cases  stored  on  the  Port  Arthur  quay. 

"One  of  the  Jap's  shells  busted  in  the  pile  and  set  it 

127 


128  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

on  fire,"  he  remarks.  "You  never  saw  men  work 
harder  than  the  deckhands  did  to  put  it  out  and  save 
their  tipple!" 

"Why,  I  thought  vodka  was  liquid  fire  without  ex 
ploding  Japanese  shells,"  I  giggle,  attempting  to  con 
ceal  agitation  by  merriment. 

As  we  reach  the  front  door  of  our  house,  Baron 
Schevitch  bows  to  me  and  says,  a  tinge  of  apology  in 
his  tone:  "Here  I  must  take  my  leave.  Madame 
Klinkofstrom  was  so  frightened  at  the  thought  of 
Chinese  bandits  on  the  railroad  that  I  offered  her  my 
escort.  I  presume  I  shall  be  able  to  find  some  kind 
of  accommodation  in  the  village." 

"My  brother's  duties  as  collector  of  the  port,  of 
course,  prevented  his  coming.  I  didn't  dare  to  jour 
ney  alone,  and  the  Baron  at  my  entreaty  volunteered." 
Sophie  looks  at  me,  a  sentimental  appeal  in  her  blue 
eyes.  She  is  a  widow,  fair,  svelte  and  twenty-six, 
and  very  much  smitten  with  her  escort's  blond 
beauty. 

Thus  compelled,  I  proffer  a  reluctant  hospitality, 
and  say:  "Baron  Schevitch,  I  think  I  can  give 
you  a  bed  here  if  Mr.  Bristow  does  not  mind  occupy 
ing  the  same  room  with  you." 

"Oh,  I  couldn't  condemn  any  man  to  the  fleas  and 
discomfort  he'll  get  down  in  that  hole  there,"  says 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  129 

Johnny,  affably  nodding  his  head  towards  the  village. 

"Then,  by  my  patron  saint,  I  am  saved  from  the 
vermin  of  a  Cossack's  tent  or  a  Mogul  hut  I"  remarks 
the  Baron  enthusiastically. 

All  this  time  I  shiver  as  I  think  of  the  danger  that 
Schevitch's  presence  may  bring  to  poor  Prince  Sendai 
slaving  in  the  garden,  though  I  fear  to  close  my 
doors  to  a  man  I  imagine  is  the  private  agent  of 
the  Eussian  government,  dreading  he  may  think  I 
have  some  reason  for  not  wishing  his  presence. 

Actuated  by  this  emotion,  I  throw  an  extreme  and 
effusive  cordiality  into  my  voice  and  manner  as  I 
say :  "I  am  delighted  that  you  came.  Had  I  thought 
that  you  could  leave  Port  Arthur,  I  would  have  in 
vited  you  myself  and  brought  you  with  me  yester 
day,  my  dear  Baron." 

"Ah,  then  we  could  have  had  a  pleasant  day  to 
gether,"  remarks  Serge.  "Mr.  Armstrong  went  to 
Harbin  this  morning,  did  he  not,  Mademoiselle 
Hilda  ?"  Schevitch  seems  to  know  a  good  deal  of  our 
family  affairs. 

"Yes,  we  could  have  had  a  pleasant  day  alone  to 
gether,"  I  reply,  throwing  considerable  intention  in 
to  my  voice,  and  coquetry  into  my  eyes. 

This  causes  Madame  Klinkofstrom  to  glance  at  me 
suspiciously  and  not  over  affably.  The  fair  Sophie 


130  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

has  at  times  suspected  that  Serge's  affections  would 
run  my  way  if  I  would  but  permit  him ;  despite  her 
Scandinavian  origin  and  yellow  hair  and  blue  eyes, 
she  can  be  intensely  jealous.  God  save  me  from 
the  jealousy  of  a  blonde!  A  brunette's  passion  may 
be  more  fervid,  but  for  quiet  suspicion,  continuous 
intriguing  and  amorous  plotting,  the  soft,  blue-eyed, 
languishing  blonde  will  take  the  prize  from  dashing 
Miss  Blackeyes  every  time. 

In  contrast  to  Madame  Klinkofstrom,  my  other 
guest,  Olga  Petrofsky,  is  brown-haired  and  peach- 
cheeked,  with  a  slightly  retrousse  nose,  laughing 
manner  and  a  heart  as  open  as  her  big  soft  eyes. 
These  she  has  placed,  I  think,  upon  the  broad  should 
ered  American,  Johnny  Bristow,  who  has  walked  by 
her  side  from  the  train.  Bristow  has  been  on  the 
Manchurian  Peninsula  and  in  Niuchwang  for  nearly 
a  year  selling  the  cotton  goods  of  the  Rhode  Island 
mills.  The  time  he  has  stolen  from  business  has 
been  very  pleasantly  occupied  in  a  flirtation  with 
Mademoiselle  Petrofsky  which  has  grown  from  polite 
amatory  skirmish  to  a  love  affair  that  I  think  will  re 
sult  in  marriage.  Russian  young  ladies  in  the  Far 
East  under  the  exigencies  of  a  frontier-life  have  a 
great  deal  more  liberty  than  would  be  granted  them 
in  St.  Petersburg  or  Moscow,  and  though  her  brother 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  131 

the  Captain  has  sometimes  looked  dubiously  upon  the 
American  business  man's  attentions  to  his  sister,  he 
has  wisely  reflected:  "When  you  are  in  Manchuria, 
do  as  Manchurians  do." 

Then  I  give  a  sigh  of  relief  as  my  gentlemen  guests 
are  shown  to  their  room  by  Ah  Tow,  and  the  ladies 
made  comfortable  in  two  pretty  chambers  by  San 
Shoe's  attentions  and  I  am  left  alone  with  the 
thoughts  that  have  been  rushing  through  my  brain 
ever  since  poor  Sendai's  eyes  have  looked  into  mine 
from  the  asparagus  trench  by  the  river. 

I  am  horrified  when  I  contemplate  the  terrible  posi 
tion  in  which  the  sudden  outbreak  of  the  war  has  put 
my  devoted  admirer.  I  think  of  the  carefully  ex 
amined  passports  on  each  departing  train ;  I  look  out 
at  the  Cossack  patrols  along  the  railway  alert  and 
vigilant,  and  make  up  my  mind  that  I  must  aid  him. 
Not  that  I  love  him,  but  when  a  man  risks  his  life 
just  to  see  a  girl's  bright  eyes,  she  must  do  something 
to  keep  him  from  the  ignoble  death  of  a  military  out 
law. 

A  few  quick,  shuddering  reflections,  and  American 
common  sense  tells  me  the  best  thing  I  can  do  for 
Sendai  just  at  present  is  to  be  as  gay,  debonair  and 
light  hearted  as  possible  to  my  guests  so  that  they  will 


132  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

not  guess  I  have  any  tremendous  adventure  on  my 
mind. 

Consequently  I  run  to  my  room  and  make  my 
self  as  pretty  as  I  can  for  dinner.  Returning  from 
this,  I  find  my  party  are  gathered  togather  in 
the  parlor  preparatory  to  going  into  the  dining-room. 
To  us  enters  Captain  Petrof  sky,  who  takes  his  sister  in 
his  arms  and,  looking  her  over  to  see  that  she  is  safe 
from  shot  and  shell,  gives  her  the  usual  Russian  kiss 
upon  both  cheeks.  Bowing  to  me,  he  says  effusively : 
"I  am  delighted  that  Colonel  Genke's  arrival  this 
evening  has  made  it  possible  for  me  to  accept  your  in 
vitation  to  join  you  at  dinner,  kind  Mademoiselle 
Armstrong/' 

A  moment  later  we  stroll  across  the  hall  into  the 
dining-room,  I  giving  the  Captain  my  arm  and  per 
mitting  the  Baron  to  escort  Madame  Klinkof  strom  so 
the  widow  will  not  be  too  jealous  of  me,  Johnny  Bris- 
tow,  of  course,  taking  in  pretty  Mademoiselle  Petrof- 
sky. 

So  we  sit  down  to  a  very  pleasant  meal. 

True,  most  of  our  repast  is  canned,  but  the  aspara 
gus  tips  for  our  entre  have  come  from  the  Sacramento 
River  valley  and  are  superb. 

Looking  upon  these  I  cannot  help  thinking  of  the 
poor  Prince  slaving  in  the  asparagus  bed  to  conceal 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  133 

his  rank  and  nationality  from  surrounding  Bussians, 
and  my  appetite  seems  to  leave  me. 

But  my  languor  with  knife  and  fork  does  not  affect 
my  guests.  As  Yaling^s  little  sheep  meat  flanked 
by  canned  green  peas  is  placed  before  us,  Olga 
cries  out  enthusiastically :  "Fresh  lamb !  Oh,  what  a 
luxury!" 

"Fresh  lamb  !"  remarks  the  Baron.  "Where  under 
Heaven  did  you  get  it  from  ?" 

"From  the  man  who  furnishes  all  good  things  in 
this  village — Yaling!  Our  Chinese  official  and  head 
magistrate,"  I  say,  anxious  to  put  in  a  good  word  for 
our  commissary-general. 

"Yaling?"  observes  Schevitch.  "Humph,  the  fel 
low  who  commands  the  Chinese  militia  here  and  ia 
judge  of  the  little  district?" 

"Yes,  and  who  holds  every  other  office,"  reply  I 
proudly. 

"Too  many  offices,"  grins  the  Baron  and  devotes 
himself  with  very  good  appetite  to  the  lamb  and  the 
dinner,  which  runs  along  very  pleasantly,  the  water 
cress  salad  making  another  hit  and  a  pair  of  big 
chickens  that  I  have  had  slaughtered  producing  great 
enthusiasm. 

"My  dear  Hilda,  you  live  better  than  the  Viceroy, 
and  I  have  dined  at  his  table  several  times  lately/' 


134:  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

remarks  Sophie,  taking  her  blue  eyes  for  a  moment 
from  their  languishing  contemplation  of  the  hlond 
Schevitch  beside  her. 

Then  the  dessert  being  brought  on,  the  California 
canned  fruits  seem  to  please  everyone ;  the  scourge  of 
war  is  forgotten,  for  champagne  is  flowing  merrily 
and  the  conversation  has  become  as  sparkling  as  the 
wine.  Despite  this,  I  soon  after  take  the  ladies  with 
me  into  the  parlor,  where  we  will  have  coffee  Russian 
fashion,  leaving  the  gentlemen  under  Ah  Tow's  care 
to  enjoy  their  cigars. 

But  we  have  not  been  by  ourselves  very  long  before 
Johnny  Bristow,  preferring  the  bright  eyes  of  Miss 
Petrof sky  to  the  pleasure  of  his  cigar,  comes  in  to  us, 
though  the  young  Russian  Captain  and  the  Baron 
still  remain  in  the  dining-room  wooing  nicotine. 

A  little  later,  implored  by  Sophie's  glance,  I,  act 
ing  as  hostess,  trip  across  the  passage  to  the  dining- 
room,  which  is  screened  only  from  the  hall  by  a  very 
light  drapery,  to  request  Schevitch  and  Petrofsky  to 
throw  away  ceremony,  bring  their  cigars  along  and 
join  us  in  the  parlor. 

My  fingers  are  already  on  the  curtains  to  draw 
them  aside  when  I  pause,  some  words  in  French,  a 
language  that  I  know  pretty  well,  reaching  my  ears 
from  the  lips  of  Baron  Schevitch.  As  their  import 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  135 

dawns  on  me,  I  am  confident  he  is  speaking  in  French 
for  fear  some  of  the  Chinese  servants  may  understand 
him  if  he  uses  Russian,  with  which  tongue  many 
of  the  Manchurian  Chinese  are  now  quite  familiar. 

He  is  asking  in  cautious  tone:  "You  know  this 
Yaling,  Captain  Petrofsky?" 

"Of  course  I  do/7  answers  the  Captain.  "I  have 
commanded  the  troops  in  the  village  here  for  over  a 
month.  He's  the  local  native  magistrate." 

"Well,  he  is  the  Chinaman  I  have  been  requested 
to  investigate." 

"Investigate!  For  what?"  asks  Petrofsky.  "He 
has  given  us  some  very  good  beef  at  times." 

"Yes,"  answers  Bchevitch,  "but  it  has  been  hinted 
to  the  powers  that  be  that,  though  Yaling  commands 
the  militia  here,  he  also  commands  the  local  Hun-hu- 
tzes;  that  after  these  pestilent  bandits  have  marauded 
and  attacked  Eussian  guards  at  night,  in  the  morn 
ing  he  takes  off  his  bandit  arms,  puts  on  his  militia 
uniform  and  heads  the  same  band,  who  are  now  trans 
formed  into  local  constabulary,  to  chase  themselves 
all  over  the  country.  Of  course,  they  never  catch 
themselves." 

At  this  Petrofsky  bursts  out  laughing,  then  jeers 
savagely :  "Well,  if  I  catch  his  band  with  my  Siberian 
soldiers,  they'll  know  they're  caught,  when  we  exter- 


136  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

minate  them."  A  moment  later  he  asks  dubiously: 
"But  why  has  this  dinner  put  Yaling  in  your  head? 
The  Chinese  official  seems  a  very  good  fellow  and  has 
always  been  most  obligingly  obsequious  to  me." 

"This  spring  lamb/'  replies  the  Baron.  "It  is  re 
markably  suspicious." 

"Spring  lamb !  You  think  it  poisoned  ?"  mutters 
the  Captain  with  an  astounded  start. 

"Not  a  bit.  I  enjoyed  it  thoroughly,"  answers 
Schevitch  with  a  light  laugh.  "But  have  you  ever 
seen  any  sheep  about  this  village  or  along  the  whole 
line  of  the  railway?" 

"No,"  answers  Petrofsky.  "Sheep  wouldn't  live 
long  with  my  hungry  boys  in  their  vicinity." 

"Very  well;  the  only  sheep  in  the  country  are  far 
away  in  the  recesses  of  those  hills,  and  no  Chinese 
official,  unless  he  were  one  of  the  Hun-hu-tzes,  or  at 
least  known  to  be  favorable  to  them,  would  dare  to 
go  up  there  to  get  them,"  remarks  the  Baron  in  con 
templative  voice;  adding:  "In  addition,  none  of  his 
followers  would  dare  venture  there  unless  they  were 
equally  friendly  to  the  local  bandits." 

Into  the  conversation,  forgetting  prudence,  I  in 
trude.  I  step  into  the  room  and  say  indignantly: 
"Baron  Schevitch,  this  is  monstrous !  Because  Yal 
ing,  who  has  for  the  last  three  years  got  me  everything 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  137 

I  wanted  in  this  village,  from  a  codfish  to  an  early 
muskmelon,  does  me  the  favor  to  exert  himself  to  give 
my  guests,  at  my  petition,  a  good  dinner,  you  put  a 
suspicion  upon  the  poor  man  that  in  the  present  ex 
cited  state  of  the  country  might  doom  him  to  death 
by  hasty  court-martial." 

Here  a  new  phase  in  Baron  Schevitch's  character 
greets  me.  He  bites  his  lip  in  annoyance  but  rising, 
observes :  "Honored  Mademoiselle  Armstrong,  though 
I  don't  wish  to  dictate  to  my  hostess,  who  has 
been  so  kindly  hospitable  to  me  this  evening,  still  I 
must  request  you  to  give  no  hint  of  my  suspicions  to 
the  Chinese  official." 

"Pish  I"  I  remark  angrily.  "I  shall,  of  course,  say 
what  I  deem  best  for  poor  Yaling's  interests." 

"Then  since  you  force  it  from  me" — Schevitch's 
voice  becomes  bureaucratic — "I  must  demand  this  of 
ficially." 

"And  as  what  official?"  I  answer  pertly.  "You 
don't  wear  a  Russian  uniform." 

The  Baron  bites  his  lip  again ;  then  says  to  me  un 
der  his  breath:  "As  the  private  agent  of  the  Rus 
sian  Viceroy." 

"Ah,  at  last  I  know  your  profession !"  I  sneer,  and 
there  flashes  through  me  the  wondrous  judgment  of 


138  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

the  Japanese  engineer  officer  and  his  words  to  me  in 
Tokyo. 

"I  am  sorry  you  forced  me  to  tell  you  my  exact 
relationship  to  General  Alexeieff,"  continues  Sche- 
vitch  suavely,  '"but  Captain  Petrofsky,  as  head  of 
the  garrison  of  this  village,  can  substantiate  my 
words." 

"I  can/'  answers  the  Captain  shortly.  "I  am 
directed  to  bow  to  Baron  Schevitch  in  all  affairs  that 
are  not  strictly  military." 

"JSTow,"  remarks  the  Baron  caustically,  yet  suavely, 
"I  am  sure  my  charming  hostess  will  give  me  her 
word  not  to  communicate  my  suspicions  to  the  Chinese 
magistrate." 

"Under  these  circumstances,  of  course,  I  am  com 
pelled  to  accord  my  promise,"  I  say.  "I  know  what 
a  state  of  war  means,  and  I  presume  if  I  did  not  you 
would  send  me  at  once  to " 

"Only  as  far  as  Muchwang,"  remarks  Schevitch 
pleasantly ;  "but  I  know  Miss  Armstrong  having  giv 
en  her  word,  will  keep  it.  Now  supposing  we  join 
the  other  ladies  and  forget  everything  but  the  smiles 
of  the  fair  sex.  Also  I  believe  somebody  suggested 
after  dinner  a  game  of  American  poker." 

As  the  Captain  precedes  us  into  the  parlor,  the 
bureaucrat  whispers  in  my  ear :  "You  mustn't  look  so 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  139 

indignantly  at  me.  You  know  an  unkind  glance 
would  break  the  heart  of  Schevitch." 

"Yes,  from  the  widow  in  there/'  I  say  flirtatiously. 

"Oh,  poor  Sophie." 

His  tone  is  such  that  I  am  glad  "poor  Sophie" 
doesn't  hear  it,  and  say  modestly,  but  coquettishly : 
"She  is  much  prettier  than  I." 

"Prettier  than  you?  By  Saint  Vladimir,  no  one  is 
more  beautiful  at  this  moment !  Whose  eyes  are  so 
bright,  whose  cheeks  are  so  flushed  with  roses,  whose 
little  hand  is  so  alluringly  trembling  as  she  places 
it  on  my  arm?"  In  his  emotional  foreign  way, 
Serge  audaciously  kisses  the  tips  of  my  fingers. 
There  is  a  greater  confidence  and  command  in  his 
bearing  to  me.  Good  Heaven!  does  the  handsome 
blond  fellow  think  he'll  win  Hilda  Armstrong  ? 

This  speech  I  do  not  answer  scornfully  as  I  would 
like  to,  because  I  fear  to  gain  the  disfavor  of  the 
secret  agent  of  the  Russian  government.  In  some 
way  it  may  bring  additional  peril  on  the  unfortunate 
Sendai.  That  also  is  the  reason  I  gave  Schevitch  my 
promise  not  to  warn  poor  Yaling.  I  feel  that  entire 
liberty  of  action  and  freedom  from  all  suspicion  is 
necessary  for  me  to  help  the  hapless  Japanese  Prince, 
whose  love  for  me  may  condemn  him  to  a  cruel  death. 

These  emotions  run  through  me  in  spasms.    This 


140  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

evening  as  we  play  a  little  game  of  poker,  which 
the  Russians  like  as  well  as  the  Americans, 
whose  eyes  so  bright  as  mine,  whose  cheeks 
so  blushing,  whose  fingers  as  they  deal  the  cards 
so  vivaciously  trembling  as  Hilda  Armstrong's  as  she 
displays  four  hearts  and  one  diamond  and  hysteri 
cally  announces  she  has  a  flush?  For  the  game  re 
minds  me  of  the  dashing  Sendai  as  he  played  poker 
-in  the  tea-house  of  the  Rising  Sun  to  win  a  shiver 
ing  geisha  girl  kneeling  on  a  mat  the  night  of  the 
water  fete  in  Tokyo.  Thinking  of  him  now  in  the 
garden  outside  hiding  from  Russian  troops,  I  become 
so  agitated  I  frenziedly  open  a  jackpot  on  a  bobtail 
straight  and  fortunately  win  it  by  drawing  the  neces 
sary  card. 

As  I  frantically  show  my  hand  and  rake  in  the 
stakes,  a  kind  of  astounded  silence  falls  on  the  play 
ers.  But  the  ladies  cry  out  as  I  follow  this  up  by  a 
few  minutes  later  opening  another  jackpot  on  a  pair 
of  deuces  and  win  it  by  drawing  three  cards  that  con 
tain  a  couple  of  four-spots. 

The  foreign  gentlemen  are  too  polite  to  criticise 
my  poker  enormities,  though  I  fear  Captain  Petrof- 
sky  thinks  I  am  a  deliberate  cheat,  Johnny  Bristow, 
in  his  brusque  American  way,  however,  remarks  as  I 
pocket  my  roubles:  "You  play  quite  a  new  style  of 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  141 

jackpots,  Miss  Armstrong;  very  effective,  too!" 
After  the  game  is  finished  I  overhear  him  whispering 
to  Schevitch :  "In  Arizona  they  kill  men  for  that  kind 
of  poker !" 

As  for  the  Baron,  he  simply  smiles  on  me  in  his 
suave  way  and  I  foolishly  let  my  desire  to  gain  his 
favor  become  apparent  to  Sophie  Klinkofstrom.  Be 
fore  the  evening  is  over  that  young  widow's  blue  eyes 
from  sapphires  have  grown  into  fire  opals  as  they 
inspect  me  with  the  baneful  light  of  that  uncanny 
gem.  Perhaps  she  thinks  my  devotion  to  Schevitch 
is  to  punish  her  for  having  had  the  handsome  Baron 
by  her  side  on  the  railway  excursion. 

Then  Captain  Petrofsky  bids  us  good  evening,  I 
asking  him  if  possible  to  join  us  at  breakfast.  The 
gentlemen  would  stroll  down  with  him  to  his  quarters 
in  the  village,  but  he  stops  them  by  saying :  "On  your 
return  without  me,  across  the  bridge,  you'd  probably 
be  shot  by  my  sentries." 

A  few  minutes  after  we  hear  him  hoarsely  chal 
lenged  by  the  patrol  as  he  reaches  the  bridge. 

Turning  from  this,  my  guests,  being  tired  from  the 
railroad  journey  in  a  train  crowded  to  suffocation,  we 
all  go  to  our  rooms.  At  the  door  of  my  chamber  O'lga 
whispers  to  me :  "You  have  tortured  poor  Sophie  this 
evening  by  making  a  slave  of  her  special  escort  that 


142  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

she  brought  all  the  way  from  Port  Arthur  for  a  quiet 
little  tete-a-tete  love  in  the  hills." 

At  her  remark  I  laugh  in  attempted  carelessness; 
but  as  I  pace  my  bedroom  floor  I  get  to  thinking — 
thinking  of  my  poor  coolie  gardener,  planning  how  to 
save  the  life  of  the  Prince  who  loves  me  so  devotedly. 
I  am  not  vain,  but  what  girl  can  help  feeling  some 
compassion  for  a  man  who  risks  his  life  for  one 
glance  of  her  eyes,  and  then  by  cruel  circumstances 
is  not  permitted  even  to  speak  to  her,  surrounded  by 
his  enemies.  As  I  glance  in  my  mirror  I  don't  won 
der  at  Sendai's  being  wild  to  see  me.  I  have  certainly 
the  prettiest  figure.  But  being  modest  in  regard  to 
my  charms,  I  turn  my  attention  away  from  them  and 
devote  my  mind  to  projects  for  the  salvation  of  my 
unfortunate  adorer,  a  wild  idea  having  entered  my 
mind  that,  at  a  pinch,  he  might  be  concealed  in  one 
of  my  two  big  clothes-closets  that  open  from  the  end 
of  my  chamber.  Either  of  them  is  as  large  as  a 
small  room,  and  one  has  a  special  door  from  the  hall. 
But  that  would  be  too  desperate  a  method  I  conclude, 
with  so  many  Chinese  servants  about. 

Schevitch  this  evening  has  displayed  his  love  lor 
me.  Perhaps  I  can  use  the  Baron's  passion  to  save 
the  Japanese  Prince.  If  so  I  shall  not  hesitate  to 
give  the  secret  agent  of  Russia  a  slight  encourage- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  143 

merit.  All  is  fair  in  love  or  war,  and  this  is  love,  and 
war  too,  with  a  vengeance ! 

Shuddering  about  Sendai  reminds  me  of  the  peril 
of  poor  Yaling,  whose  lamb  for  my  guests  has 
brought  suspicion  on  him.  I  cannot  under  my 
promise  give  him  a  hint  of  his  danger;  but  I 
will  speak  if  I  think  it  is  necessary  for  Yal- 
ing's  security.  I'm  too  American  to  be  bossed  by 
any  man,  and  extorted  promises,  I  have  been  told, 
are  not  legally  binding.  Oh,  if  Father  were  here 
to  ask  his  advice  about  the  matter!  I  know  he 
thinks  a  good  deal  of  Sendai.  But  Dad  would  tell 
me  to  mind  my  own  business.  That  would  be  his 
American,  unromantic  horse  sense,  in  a  land  where 
martial  law  is  proclaimed  and  barbarous  war  is  being 
waged.  The  Russians  shoot  the  Chinese  on  suspi 
cion;  from  the  Muscovites,  inflamed  by  rage  at  the 
sudden  onslaught  of  the  Mikado's  forces,  a  Japanese, 
thought  to  be  a  spy,  would  have  no  chance  of  mercy. 
Neither  would  the  woman  who  aided  him. 

About  this  time  there  suddenly  flashes  through  my 
brain  this  astounding  and  horrifying  thought:  "If 
Sehevitch's  suspicion  is  correct,  and  Yaling  is  the 
head  of  the  local  Hun-hu-tzes,  and  is  seized  upon  and 
tried  by  court-martial,  it  will  greatly  increase  Sendai's 
danger." 


144  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

With  this  comes  another  excited  trembling  inspira 
tion.  "Who  engaged  the  gardener  and  permitted  him 
to  work  in  our  garden?  Yaling!  If  Yaling  is  an 
enemy  of  the  Russian  government  he  probably  knows 
that  Prince  Sendai  is  a  Japanese  officer;  and  to  give 
him  a  slight  chance  of  safety  has  made  him  my  gar 
dener  and  set  him  to  digging  that  asparagus  trcn«h." 

I  had  half  determined  to  keep  away  from  Sendai, 
believing  that  to  be  his  best  chance  of  safety.  But 
now  I  must  warn  him  that  the  suspicions  of  the  Rus 
sian  official  are  directed  to  Yaling,  his  Chinese  pro 
tector. 

As  I  think  this  I  have  turned  hastily  to  my  door 
to  go  down  to  the  garden.  But  the  clock  striking 
twelve  makes  me  pause  and  mutter  to  myself :  "Idiot ! 
Sendai  would  not  be  toiling  at  the  asparagus  trench 
at  midnight.  Even  coolies  are  supposed  to  sleep ! 
Besides,"  I  reflect,  a  moment  later,  "near  the  railroad 
track  and  bridge  the  Russian  sentries  are  so  alert  that 
if  I  did  not  answer  their  challenge  in  the  darkness,  I 
should  probably  be  shot  down.  That  asparagus 
trench  is  not  twenty-five  yards  from  the  north  abut 
ment  of  that  bridge  they  guard  so  jealously.5' 

Therefore  I  slip  off  my  clothes  and  tumble  into  bed, 
where  I  toss  about  till  nearly  morning. 

Sendai !     Sendai ! 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  145 

I  can  think  of  nothing  hut  Sendai  and  his  peril. 

Finally  sleep  comes  upon  me,  hut  I  have  an  awful 
dream.  I  see  Sendai  hung  up  as  a  spy  in  my  ice 
house  like  I  had  seen  the  lambs  Yaling  had  sent  me 
in  the  morning.  Schevitch  is  telling  me  he  will  have 
Japanese  mutton  for  breakfast;  and  that  I  am  to  be 
executed  for  cheating  at  poker. 

I  awake  with  a  little  scream  of  horror  and  spring 
out  of  bed. 

The  sun  is  rising.  The  rumble  of  a  train  crossing 
the  bridge  recalls  to  me  the  awful  incidents  of  the 
previous  day.  My  bedroom  windows  face  the  rail 
way.  I  glance  out ;  despite  myself,  my  eyes  will  turn 
towards  the  asparagus  trench  at  the  bottom  of  my 
garden. 

I  rub  my  sleepy  eyes  and  start  with  astonishment. 
For  some  reason  the  unfortunate  Sendai  must  have 
slaved  all  night.  An  additional  pile  of  mould  covered 
with  manure  is  evidence  of  it,  though  the  asparagus 
trench  seems  to  my  distant  view  of  it  no  larger  than 
it  was  the  day  before. 

This  is  very  curious. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

/ 

THE   JUGGLER   AT  THE   WEDDING   SUPPER. 


/- 

After  washing  my  face  to  be  sure  the  cobwebs  are 
out  of  my  eyes,  I  glance  from  my  window  again. 

As  I  look  I  see  old  Yaling  coming  from  my  kitchen, 
which  is  situated  at  the  extreme  right  of  my  rambling 
cottage.  The  smoke  from  its  chimney  indicates  that 
my  cooks  are  already  at  work.  Probably  the  kind- 
hearted  Chinaman  has  brought  some  additional  lux 
ury  for  my  guests. 

Holding  a  package  in  his  hand,  he  is  jabbering  with 
Ah  Tow,  who  has  come  out  from  the  kitchen  with 
him.  A  moment  later  Papa's  valet  returns  to 
his  household  duties  and  the  Chinese  magistrate, 
trudging  over  the  frosty  earth,  makes  his  way  towards 
the  bottom  of  my  garden,  and  reaching  the  little 
house  for  garden  tools  that  is  next  to  my  hotbeds 
leaves  his  package  in  it.  Then  he  placidly  takes  his 
way  back  through  the  garden  and  returns  to  the  vil 
lage,  not  approaching  the  railroad  tracks,  which  are 
patroled  by  the  Russian  sentries. 
146 


MY.  JAPANESE  PRINCE  147 

A  few  minutes  after  I  see  my  coolie  gardener  com 
ing  out  of  the  asparagus  trench  and  wandering,  shovel 
in  hand,  to  the  tool  house.  Quite  shortly  after  he 
reappears,  the  package  in  his  hand.  Carelessly 
lounging  upon  one  of  my  hotbeds,  he  opens  the 
matting  that  holds  it  together  and  begins  to  make  his 
breakfast  of  its  contents,  eating  with  hands  and  teeth, 
like  coolies  of  the  lowest  class.  Then  comes  the  in 
variable  tobacco.  He  is  smoking  a  cigarette  and  gaz 
ing  coolly  at  a  hand  car  that,  propelled  by  some 
section  laborers  guarded  by  four  soldiers,  passes  along 
the  railway. 

By  this  time  I  have  summoned  San  Shoo  and 
made  my  morning  toilette.  No  sounds  of  awakening 
reach  my  ears  from  the  other  rooms.  The  chamber 
occupied  by  Schevitch  and  Johnny  Bristow  is  at  the 
other  end  of  the  house  and  doesn't  look  out  upon  this 
portion  of  the  garden.  I  think  I  will  venture  a  walk 
through  my  grounds,  for  I  am  now  quite  positive  that 
Yaling  knows  more  than  that  Sendai  is  merely  a 
coolie  gardener;  if  so,  the  Prince  must  be  warned  of 
the  additional  danger  that  will  come  upon  him  should 
the  Chinese  magistrate  be  seized. 

It  is  not  over  six  hundred  feet  from  my  cottage  to 
the  river  bank  of  my  garden,  and  it  doesn't  take  me 
more  than  two  minutes  to  stroll  down  carelessly  to  my 


148  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

hotbeds.  But  when  I  reach  there  Sendai  has  disap 
peared.  The  remnants  of  his  meal  shock  me;  the 
Japanese  aristocrat,  accustomed  to  every  luxury,  has 
been  devouring  the  hard,  black  bean-cake  of  the  coun 
try  and  has  been  drinking  Tcvass,  the  nauseous  native 
beer.  The  smoke  that  lingers  about  the  place  indi 
cates  he  has  been  using  the  vilest  coolie  cigarettes. 

Then  as  I  reflect  on  the  dainty  breakfast  I  am 
about  to  give  my  guests  I  think  how  much  I  should 
like  to  send  Sendai  a  few  of  the  luxuries  that  will 
grace  my  table— if  I  but  dared.  Anyway,  I  must 
speak  to  him  and  tell  him  of  the  additional  menace 
to  his  life  arising  from  the  Eussian's  suspicions  of 
Yaling. 

Sendai  is  probably  working  in  the  asparagus  trench. 
I  stroll  up  to  it  and  gaze  down  into  its  depths.  There 
is  no  evidence  of  Sendai.  Notwithstanding  the  addi 
tional  pile  of  earth  covered  by  manure,  which  indi 
cates  a  tremendous  amount  of  labor,  the  asparagus 
trench  is  apparently  no  larger  or  deeper  than  it  had 
been  the  night  before. 

Sendai  cannot  have  gone  very  far.  He  must  be 
within  hearing  of  my  voice.  I  must  speak  to  him  and 
venture  to  call  in  a  low  tone:  "Coolie!  John  Coolie! 
You  sabe,  come  here!  Missie  wants  you!"  The 
only  answer  I  receive  is  the  quiet  rush  of  the  icy 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  149 

current  of  the  river  by  which  I  stand  and  the  tramp 
of  the  Eussian  patrol  on  the  abutment  by  the  water 
tank,  though  the  soldiers  are  screened  from  me  by 
the  clump  of  evergreen  trees. 

Once  more  I  speak  peremptorily :  "John  Chinaman, 
why  you  hide  from  your  missie  ?  You  no  have  planted 
hotbeds.  Yaling,  you  sabe,  tell  me  you  no  good.  You 
come  right  here,  quick,  or  you  catchee  it!" 

This  will  give  a  hint  to  Sendai's  quick  mind  that  in 
some  way  I  know  Yaling  is  connected  with  him ;  that 
for  his  own  safety  he  must  come  and  hear  my  words. 

Receiving  no  answer,  through  my  mind  flashes  the 
noble  intrepidity  of  the  Japanese  fugitive,  who,  de 
spite  his  desperate  strait,  will  permit  himself  no  com 
munication  with  me,  fearing  to  put  peril  upon  the 
American  girl  he  has  journeyed  so  far  to  see. 

Desperately  I  am  about  to  speak  again,  when  the 
voice  of  Olga  Petrofsky  gives  me  a  sudden  start.  The 
bright  Russian  girl  from  a  little  distance  laughs: 
"Chinese  gardener  no  good,  eh?  Heap  lazy;  no 
plantee  hotbeds,  eh?  No  spring  vegetables  for  Miss 
Americansky." 

"Well,  I  hardly  think  Miss  Americansky  will  stay 
here  long  enough  for  spring  vegetables,"  remarks 
Johnny  Bristow,  who  stands  beside  the  Russian  young 
lady. 


150  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Apparently  they  had  seen  mo  rummaging  about  my 
hotbeds  and  strolled  down  to  me  from  the  cottage. 
Both  look  very  happily  excited,  but  at  the  suggestion 
of  American  exodus  from  Manchuria,  Olga  turns  her 
brown  eyes  piteously  towards  the  stalwart  young 
Yankee  who  stands  beside  her. 

"Aha,  you  have  been  having  an  early  morning  flir 
tation  !"  I  laugh,  to  cover  my  embarrassment. 

At  this  both  of  their  faces  grow  red,  then  won- 
drously  happy.  "Yes,  we  have  a  little  secret  for 
you,"  answers  Johnny  promptly.  "When  I  leave  Man 
churia  I  hope  to  take  Olga  with  me,  and  that  will  be 
within  a  few  days." 

"Oh,  I'm  so  glad,"  I  whisper,  and  seizing  upon 
Olga,  who  has  turned  bashfully  away,  give  her  a  kiss 
of  congratulation.  "You  have  won  the  best  fellow  in 
Manchuria." 

"Not  even  excepting  Baron  Schevitch?"  murmurs 
Miss  Petrofsky,  playfully.  As  she  returns  my  kiss 
I  note  upon  her  sweet  lips  the  faint  odor  of  tobacco. 
Johnny  Bristow  is  smoking.  Bristow's  moustache 
must  have  been  where  my  lips  now  are. 

Ah  Tow  is  yelling  from  the  front  door :  "Blekef ast ! 
Blckefast!  Comee  quick,  catchee  him  hot!"  and 
Baron  Schevitch  and  Sophie  Klinkofstrom  are  wav- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  151 

ing  their  hands  to  us  from  the  front  door,  suggest 
ing  morning  appetite  and  hurry. 

There  is  nothing  for  me  to  do  at  present  but  to 
leave  poor  Sendai  to  his  coolie  labor,  coolie  privations 
and  princely  magnanimity  in  his  desperate  peril. 

As  we  come  up  the  little  path  the  Baron  runs  down 
to  meet  us.  Johnny  and  Olga  walking  ahead,  the 
Russian  falls  in  at  my  side  and  remarks,  affably: 
"My  sweet  hostess  is  an  early  riser." 

"Yes,  when  you  can't  sleep,  just  as  well  get  up !"  I 
answer  flippantly. 

"Aha,  disturbed  slumbers !"  Schevitch  glances  at 
me  searchingly;  then  mutters:  "By  Saint  Constan- 
tine,  you  look  it!" 

"Do  I?"  I  giggle  nervously.  "I  had  an  awful 
nightmare.  I  dreamed  you  had  Yaling  hung  up  like 
his  spring  lamb."  Then,  impressed  by  the  peril  of  the 
unfortunate  Chinese  official,  I  whisper,  pleadingly: 
"Don't  accuse  the  poor  fellow  without  better  evidence 
than  his  desire  to  do  my  behests  and  feed  you  well." 

"Well,  I  suppose  I  could  hardly  convict  him  before 
a  court-martial  on  nothing  stronger  than  spring 
lamb,"  remarks  the  Baron,  laughingly ;  adding,  rather 
eagerly:  "There  is  some  more  of  it  for  breakfast,  I 
hope?" 

"I  think  there  is,"  I  return;  then  give  a  start 


152  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

as  my  escort  says:  "Allow  me,"  and  kneels  at  my 
feet.  In  my  agitation  I  had  failed  to  tie  securely  the 
lace  of  one  of  my  rather  fetching  high-heeled  bottines, 

Lingering  over  the  knot,  Schevitch's  touch  seems 
authoritative.  I  feel  as  if  I  would  like  to  kick  him, 
but  restraining  myself,  say  gratefully:  "Thank  you, 
very  much." 

This  little  passage  between  us  is  noted  by  Sophie 
from  my  front  door,  and  I  do  not  think  it  increases 
her  love  for  me.  She  is  a  very  jealous  woman.  She 
knows  I  was  considered  to  have  the  prettiest  ankle  in 
Port  Arthur.  As  I  raise  my  skirts  slightly  and  run 
up  to  join  her  at  the  portal,  she  remarks:  "Is  your 
maid  always  so  careless  about  your  footgear  that  you 
require  the  assistance  of  gentlemen,  Hilda?" 

"No,"  I  reply  nonchalantly,  "Baron  Schevitch  is 
seldom  in  attendance  to  officiate  before  breakfast." 

At  my  foolish  speech,  Sophie's  eyes  glow  like  fire 
opals;  but  she  contrives  to  laugh:  "You  romp  about 
so,  you  mad  girl,  I  wonder  you  keep  anything  on  your 
extremities." 

"Yes,  Dad  says  my  shoe  bills  are  enormous." 

"What,  for  such  little  feet!"  Sophie  giggles  and 
kisses  me.  Beware  of  the  blonde  woman  who  kisses 
another  woman ! 

We  are  about  to  step  into  the  dining-room  when 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  153 

Petrofsky  comes  in  to  us  quite  excitedly  and  says: 
"Fortunately,  Colonel  Genke  gave  me  leave  for  break 
fast  and  the  company  of  my  sister;"  then  laughs  as 
he  salutes  her :  "Olga,  your  cheeks  are  very  red." 

Soon  after  we  all  sit  down  to  a  meal  of  which  I 
am  proud,  for  there  are  plenty  of  lamb  chops,  lots  of 
American  buckwheat  cakes,  real  maple  syrup  and 
some  fresh  fish  also. 

"I  suppose,"  I  whisper  rather  jeeringly  to  Baron 
Schevitch,  who  sits  next  to  me,  "these  trout  are  addi 
tional  evidence?  Yaling  brought  them  this  morn 
ing;  also  these  fresh  flowers." 

I  am  sorry  I  made  the  remark,  because  soon  after 
I  hear  Schevitch  say  earnestly  to  Petrofsky:  "Have 
you  discovered  yet  where  that  lamb  came  from?" 

"No,"  answers  the  Captain,  "but  I  know  where 
that  lamb's  going  to!"  and  he  proceeds  to  demolish 
four  or  five  additional  chops.  Russian  soldiers  have 
active  appetites  during  active  service. 

Yet  as  the  Captain  eats  he  seems  to  be  gloomy;  and 
some  questions  from  his  sister  make  him  say :  "There 
is  an  ugly  report  telegraphed  this  morning  from 
Mukden  that  the  European  journals  have  an  account 
of  a  dastardly  attack  upon  the  Variag  and  the 
Korietz  at  Chemulpo.  A  whole  Japanese  fleet  over 
powered  and  destroyed  them  in  a  neutral  Korean  port 


154  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

despite  the  protests  of  the  commanders  of  the  French, 
German  and  English  war  vessels;  though  they  state 
the  Captain  of  an  American  gunboat  made  no  at 
tempt  to  interpose  in  the  unjust  attack." 

As  I  reflect  that  the  Russians  have  only  just  re 
ceived  news  that  my  Chinaman  whispered  to  me  yes 
terday,  the  Captain  continues:  "The  despatches  also 
say  that  Americans  generally  sympathize  with  Japan 
in  its  war  upon  us."  Petrofsky  looks  so  indignantly 
at  the  stalwart  Jack  Bristow  that  tears  fly  into  Olga's 
eyes. 

The  American,  however,  meets  this  very  promptly ; 
he  says  shortly :  "Of  course,  I  do  not  know  the  feel 
ings  of  my  countrymen,  not  having  been  in  the 
United  States  for  over  a  year,  but  I  have  no  doubt 
the  American  nation  in  this  unfortunate  affair  will 
strictly  mind  its  own  business  and  make  all  the 
money  it  decently  can  impartially  out  of  both  com 
batants.  This  reminds  me  that  I  shall  be  compelled 
by  this  coming  war,  which  has  absolutely  destroyed 
all  business,  to  leave  Manchuria  in  a  few  days.  In 
this  regard,  Petrofsky,  as  breakfast  is  finished,  may 
I  request  a  few  words  with  you  ?  I  need  hardly  state 
that  you  have  my  highest  esteem;  I  hope  I  shall  al 
ways  have  your  friendship,  and  after  you  have  heard 
me — your  brotherhood." 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  155 

"Certainly/7  replies  the  Captain.  He  casts  a  curi 
ous  glance  at  his  sister,  who  has  turned  to  the  window 
to  conceal  a  face  that  is  alternately  very  pale  and  fu 
riously  red. 

The  two  gentlemen  light  their  cigars  and  stroll 
out  together,  leaving  Schevitch  and  Madame  Klink- 
ofstrom  gazing  inquiringly  at  me;  then  they  de 
vote  their  attention  to  Olga,  whose  blushes  and  em 
barrassed  nervousness  give  them  a  hint  of  what  is  in 
the  air.  The  young  Russian  girl  is  agitatedly  watch 
ing  her  brother  and  her  suitor  as  they  pace  the  gar 
den  path  together  conversing  earnestly.  I  glide  to 
her  side. 

To  me  she  pleads :  "Hilda,  you  are  an  American. 
You  know  all  about  Monsieur  Bristow  in  America. 
Your  words  would  aid  Jack  with  my  brother." 

"It's  all  right,  my  dear  girl,"  I  answer;  "they're 
coming  in,  arm  in  arm." 

All  this  time  I  am  thinking  how  this  will  affect 
the  unfortunate  Prince  toiling  in  my  garden. 

A  minute  after  I  step  into  my  parlor,  where  the 
gentlemen  have  gone  for  consultation,  and  remark: 
"Permit  me  to  take  the  liberty  of  a  hostess  and  give 
you,  Captain  Petrofsky,  some  facts  in  regard  to  Mr. 
Bristow,  whom  I  have  known  long  and  well  in  Amer- 


156  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Thank  you,  my  dear  Miss  Armstrong,"  replies 
Jack  gratefully. 

"Then,  Captain,  I  can  tell  you,"  I  say  with  Ameri 
can  butt-in-ishness,  "that  Johnny  Bristow  is  as  good 
a  fellow  as  you  can  find  in  Rhode  Island.  Besides,  I 
am  pretty  sure  he  owns  a  good  deal  of  stock  in  the 
big  Fall  River  mills  and  has  what  we  in  Yankeeland 
call  'rocks/  " 

"That  is  not  necessary,"  replies  Petrofsky.  "Mon 
sieur  Bristow  has  already  given  me  ample  assurance 
of  his  financial  ability  to  take  good  care  of  a  wife.  I 
am  not  disposed  to  ask  any  extraordinary  provision 
for  Olga,  because  she  can  only  have  a  small  settlement 
from  me.  My  father,  the  old  general,  was  too  hon 
est  to  become  very  rich,  though  he  commanded  a 
Trans-Caspian  district  for  several  years  before  his 
death.  Our  mother  having  long  passed  away,  I  am 
my  sister's  only  guardian,  and  for  the  past  few  days 
have  been  distracted,  not  knowing  where  to  send  her 
in  case  of  Japanese  invasion  of  Manchuria.  If  Olga 
has  given  her  heart  to  you,  my  American  brother,  I 
thank  God  that  my  dear  sister  will  have  a  home  far 
away  from  the  clash  of  arms."  He  wrings  Jack's 
hand. 

"Now,  as  Jack  is  going  away  very  soon  and  the 
marriage  must  take  place  very  shortly,"  I  say,  pertly, 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  157 

"you  had  better  step  into  the  dining-room,  where  you 
will  find  your  sister,  Captain  Petrofsky,  and  give  her 
a  kiss  and  your  blessing/' 

"Ah,  my  sister  loves  Monsieur  Bristow?"  queries 
Petrofsky,  earnestly. 

"Rather  I9'  I  answer,  so  confidently  that  Jack  emits 
a  merry  laugh. 

I  am  delighted  also.  The  approaching  wedding 
will  occupy  my  guests'  thoughts.  I  have  been  won 
dering  how  to  keep  them  sufficiently  busy  in  this 
cooped-up  place  to  prevent  their  patrolling  my 
grounds  and  paying  much  attention  to  the  lower  end 
of  the  garden.  Coming  nuptials  will  make  everybody 
busy  and  diminish  Sendai's  danger. 

A  moment  after,  Captain  Petrofsky  returns  and 
asks  me  excitedly:  "Can  we  use  your  parlor  for  the 
ceremony  ?" 

"What?    Olga  is  to  be  married  here?" 

"Yes,  with  your  permission,  esteemed  Miss  Arm 
strong  ?" 
-    "When?" 

"This  evening." 

I  excitedly  clap  my  hands.  Jack  Bristow's  nup 
tials  will  be  a  factor  in  Prince  Sendai's  safety.  Even 
the  suave  Schevitch,  who,  they  tell  me,  is  to  be  the 


158  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

best  man,  will  have  enough  to  do  to  keep  his  thoughts 
from  official  investigation  of  Yaling. 

In  a  feverish,  excited  way  I  do  everything  in  my 
power  to  make  the  ceremony  a  success.  All  three  gen 
tlemen  hastily  leave  us  to  go  down  to  the  village  to 
make  the  necessary  arrangements,  Petrofsky  to  get 
leave  for  the  evening  from  Colonel  Genke,  Schevitch 
to  go  on  to  Polandien,  the  district  headquarters, 
where  the  padre  or  Russian  priest  of  Petrofsky's  reg 
iment  is  sure  to  be  found.  "I  will  bring  him  back 
with  me/'  says  the  energetic  Baron  to  the  excited 
and  blushing  Olga;  "likewise,  if  I  can  get  leave  for 
them,  enough  of  the  regimental  band  to  play  your 
wedding  march." 

We  three  ladies  being  alone  together,  as  hostess,  I 
start  Ah  Tow  to  making  my  household  ready  for  the 
hymeneal  festival,  telling  him  to  demand  from  Yaling 
a  lot  of  evergreens  for  parlor  decoration;  also  two 
more  Chinese  boys  to  wait  upon  my  guests. 

Though  I  am  very  anxious  to  communicate  with 
Sendai,  I  am  compelled  to  devote  myself  with  Sophie 
to  the  bride's  costume.  Olga  has  brought  little  with 
her.  In  fact,  there  had  been  no  room  for  baggage 
upon  the  train.  I  have  several  trunks  full  of  dresses 
at  my  country  bungalow,  and  between  Sophie,  myself 
and  San  Shoo  we  arrange  a  very  simple  but  pretty 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  159 

nuptial  robe  of  pure  white,  Eussian  fashion,  for 
the  bride.  "Though  we  will  only  be  able  to  give  you 
artificial  orange  blossoms,"  I  whisper  to  the  blushing 
girl. 

But  Olga  is  so  happy  I  think  she'd  marry  Jack 
Bristow  in  rags,  pajamas  or  any  old  thing  if  neces 
sary. 

Yet  all  the  time  my  brain  seems  to  be  on  fire.  How 
shall  I  speak  with  Sendai?  Twice  I  have  ventured 
down  the  garden  alone,  but  Olga  or  Sophie  has  called 
me  back  to  ask  about  some  article  of  dress,  or  Ah 
Tow  has  yelled  after  me:  "Lookie  here,  Missie,  how 
about  champlagne  glasses  for  all  Eussie  officers  ?" 

Petrofsky  has  told  me  that  some  of  his  comrades 
in  the  regiment,  if  they  can  obtain  leave,  will  surely 
attend  the  ceremony. 

Besides,  every  now  and  then  there  is  a  train  going 
down  towards  Port  Arthur  laden  with  soldiers,  and 
I  am  compelled  to  stay  with  the  rest  of  the  ladies  and 
wave  flags  to  them,  which  the_  sunny-haired  Eussian 
boys  answer  with  cries  and  bravos  and  cheers,  as  they 
journey  perhaps  to  death  on  the  field  of  battle. 

So  the  day  has  hurried  on  without  my  having  a  sin 
gle  opportunity  of  safely  getting  word  to  the  Prince. 
I  know  he  is  working  down  there.  Another  mound 
covered  by  manure  is  making  its  appearance.  Why  is 


160  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

it  necessary  for  Sendai  to  be  always  slaving  to  make 
the  Russians  believe  he  is  a  coolie  ?  Some  coolies  are 
very  lazy.  There  is  one  lying  down  at  the  upper  end 
of  my  compound  who  has  done  nothing  but  smoke 
cigarettes  for  an  hour — though  I  believe  he  brought 
a  bundle  of  green  branches  from  Yaling  early  in  the 
day. 

By  this  time  the  gentlemen  have  come  back  again, 
and  that  puts  additional  impediment  to  my  communi 
cation  with  the  unfortunate  Japanese  Prince. 

Jack  has  returned  from  the  village  and  says  he  has 
made  all  his  business  arrangements  by  telegraph ;  and 
that  Colonel  Genke  had  been  very  kind  in  permitting 
him  the  use  of  the  lines  for  a  few  minutes.  Conse 
quently  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  him  to  go  back  to 
Dalny;  he  can  take  his  bride  immediately  on  to  iSTiu- 
chwang. 

"Wait  a  couple  of  days  and  Dad  will  be  back  and 
we'll  join  you  there/'  I  suggest. 

Just  here  Schevitch  returns  to  make  me  more 
anxious  than  ever  about  Sendai.  He  hears  my  speech 
and  looks  mournfully  at  me  as  he  states  that  the 
padre  has  journeyed  with  him  on  the  train  from 
Polandicn  and  is  already  in  the  village ;  that  he  has 
brought  half  a  dozen  regimental  musicians  with  him 
for  the  wedding  march  and  two  or  three  officers  of 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  161 

the  regiment  who  have  succeeded  in  getting  leave  for 
the  evening.  "Though  at  Polandien  it  was  almost 
more  than  we  could  do  to  get  aboard  the  return  train, 
which  had  been  commandeered  for  a  regiment  that 
has  been  forwarded  hurriedly  from  Harbin.  If  the 
Japs  dare  to  land  on  this  peninsula  they'll  get 
death/'  he  remarks.  Then  chancing  to  note  Sendai's 
magnificent  present  that  has  been  brought  out  for  the 
adornment  of  my  parlor  for  the  wedding  festivity, 
he  remarks:  "Why,  haven't  I  seen  that  in  Sendai's 
quarters  in  Tokyo  ?" 

"Yes,"  I  reply;  "it  was  a  present  from  the  Prince 
on  my  leaving  the  Japanese  Capital." 

Schevitch  strolls  up  to  it,  glances  over  its  magnifi 
cent  embellishments,  and  observes :  "I  didn't  suppose 
the  Sendais  would  permit  that  unrivaled  piece  of  an 
cient  cloisonne  to  leave  their  family.  The  old  Daimio 
houses  hoard  these  things  as  if  they  were  much  more 
precious  than  family  diamonds." 

Anxiety  making  me  foolish,  I.  laugh,  sugges 
tively:  "Perhaps  Sendai  doesn't  think  it  will  leave 
his  family,"  and  am  horrified  at  the  miserable  jeal 
ousy  that  for  a  moment  makes  Schevitch's  cheeks 
exceedingly  pale.  Why  do  so  many  men  love  me? 
It's  an  awful  bother. 

"Diable!"  he  remarks,  mockingly;  "then  I  presume 


162  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

we  heave  one  of  our  Japanese  enemies  in  the  room?" 
"Pshaw,  do  you  suppose  Olga's  an  American  be 
cause  she's  going  to  marry  Jack  Bristow  ?"  I  cry,  im 
pulsively. 

I  could  bite  off  my  tongue  for  this  crazy  insinua 
tion.  Schevitch's  eyes  instead  of  being  mournful 
become  moodily  vindictive.  I  know  now  he 
thinks  I  am  promised  to  Sendai  and  hates  him  not 
merely  with  a  race  hatred,  but  with  a  personal  malig 
nity.  If  ever  he  gets  the  chance,  God  help  my  Japan 
ese  adorer  in  the  garden !  Dad  says  I'm  a  fool  for  my 
impulsive  speeches,  but  I'm  not  an  idiot,  only  I  speak 
first  and  reflect  afterward. 

I  have  demanded  from  Yaling  flowers,  if  possible 
if  not,  evergreens — for  the  decoration  of  the  prem 
ises.  That  Chinese  official  is  in  the  house  jabbering 
with  my  servants  as  he  delivers  to  them  a  lot  of  Si 
berian  mistletoe  and  Manchurian  holly.  In  his  kindly 
Mongolian  way,  in  company  with  the  lazy  coolie,  who 
I  now  learn  is  to  aid  my  servants  in  the  dining-room, 
he  is  arranging  the  green  boughs  about  the  house. 

To  the  secret  agent  of  Russia  I  whisper,  jeeringly : 
"Don't  those  evergreens  Yaling  has  brought  from  the 
hills  add  to  your  Hun-hu-tze  suspicions  of  my  Chi 
nese  coadjutor?" 

Whereupon  Schevitch  returns  in  low  voice:  "At 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  163 

your  peril,  don't  forget  your  promise!  No  word  to 
that  suspect.  Military  law  is  here,  Miss  Armstrong, 
and  you  must  be  aware,  though  American,  you  are 
subject  to  it." 

"Thank  you  for  reminding  me,"  I  reply.  Then  I 
affect  a  playful  dread  and  plead  riantly :  "You  don't 
suppose  they'll  shoot  me  for  fresh  lamb,  do  you  ?"  A 
moment  after  the  laugh  leaves  my  face  and  I  shiver. 
I  am  perfectly  aware  that  for  aiding  a  Japanese  spy 
the  Russians,  in  their  present  temper,  might  even  ex 
ecute  me,  Hilda  Armstrong,  a  sovereign  American 
girl.  The  sensational  tragedy  would  permit  blood- 
red  headlines  in  the  New  York  evening  papers,  but  I 
wonder  if  the  United  States  would  make  war  upon 
Russia  for  it.  I  don't  suppose  they  would,  because 
I  am  going  to  do  things  that,  under  military  law, 
American  common  sense  tells  me  I  should  not  do. 

I  look  at  poor  Yaling  and  conclude  that  I  will  give 
him  a  hint  of  his  danger.  If  he  is  innocent  he  will 
not  perceive  it;  should  he  be  guilty  he  will  probably 
take  my  tip. 

We  are  all  bustling  about  putting  up  the  sweet- 
smelling  leaves  in  the  parlor,  hall  and  dining-room. 
I  know  that  a  broken  bough  among  certain  of  the 
Turkoman  and  Mongolian  tribes  of  Asia  is  considered 
a  warning  signal.  During  our  decoration  labors,  at 


164  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

my  first  opportunity  when  Schevitch's  eyes  are  not 
upon  me,  I  break,  apparently  accidentally,  a  small 
evergreen  branch  and  drop  it  at  the  foot  of  the  Chi 
nese  official,  who  is  directing  the  coolies  near  me. 

The  first  of  these  Yaling  does  not  appear  to  no 
tice,  but  a  minute  or  two  after  when  I  obtain  another 
chance  and  break  another  bough,  as  it  slips  from  my 
trembling  fingers  and  falls  at  his  feet,  his  sharp  little 
Tartar  eyes  are  turned  upon  me  inquiringly.  Then 
he  goes  on  with  his  wrork. 

Two  minutes  later  we  are  hanging  up  the  green 
stuff  in  the  hall.  Schevitch  has  stepped  out  onto  the 
little  front  portico,  where  the  winter  sun  rests  quite 
warmly,  and  has  lighted  a  cigarette.  I  have  another 
opportunity.  I  break  another  bough  and  as  it  falls 
from  my  quaking  hand  to  the  floor  immediately 
in  front  of  the  Chinese  magistrate  a  sudden  change 
seems  to  come  over  him. 

For  a  moment  his  feet  in  their  big  blue  felt-soled 
Chinese  shoes  quiver  slightly;  his  almond  optics  have 
a  startled  appearance.  He  looks  at  me  anxiously. 

I  break  deliberately  a  bough  of  Siberian  holly  and 
drop  it  in  front  of  him. 

As  he  perceives  I  do  this  with  intention,  Yaling's 
yellow  face  becomes  of  an  ashy,  deathly  gray  hue,  but 
his  Tartar  eyes  flash  with  a  quick,  cunning,  cat-like 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  165 

resolution.  He  calmly  directs  his  coolie  boys  till  the 
decoration  is  finished,  then  whispers  a  few  hurried 
words  in  a  Mongol  dialect  to  the  lazy  coolie.  As  I 
stroll  out  to  Schevitch  and  say:  "I  will  enjoy  the 
smoke  of  your  cigarette  second  hand,  my  dear  Baron/' 
I  note  Yaling  departing  from  my  compound  and  tak 
ing  his  way  towards  the  village  with  steps  that  seem 
to  grow  quicker  and  more  athletic  the  greater  the 
distance  he  puts  between  himself  and  my  cottage. 

Shortly  after  we  have  an  early  dinner  and  the  bride 
disappears  to  be  arrayed  for  the  ceremony.  I  go  to 
my  room  and  put  on  an  evening  gown.  Then,  as  the 
sun  descends  in  the  west,  my  front  gate  opens  and 
there  comes  up  the  path  leading  from  the  railroad 
the  Russian  regimental  padre  in  his  priest's  cap  and 
robes  of  office  preceded  by  a  boy  bearing  an  image  of 
Olga's  patron  saint,  followed  respectfully  by  Captain 
Petrofsky  and  four  other  Russian  officers,  headed  by 
the  little  band  of  music ;  also  a  squad  of  Russian  in 
fantry  to  see  that  their  officers  are  safe  during  festiv 
ity.  Behind  them  marches  stern  and  erect  a  military- 
looking  man  in  the  full  uniform  of  a  Russian  colonel. 
It  is  Genke,  who  has  stolen  a  little  time  from  his  du 
ties  as  commandant  of  the  troops  guarding  the  rail 
road  to  give  his  blessing  to  the  sister  of  his  favorite 
captain,  The  precise,  resolute  face  of  this  man  who 


166  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

had  been  a  hero  in  the  Russo-Turkish  war  and 
fought  under  SkobeleS  at  Geok  Tepe  is  kindly  as  he 
thanks  me  for  my  hospitality  to  a  Russian  girl  in  a 
land  upon  which  war  has  now  descended.  But  as  I 
look  into  the  Colonel's  clear,  steel-gray  eyes,  I  know 
I  am  gazing  on  an  officer  who  would  have  little  mercy 
for  a  captured  spy,  beyond  the  pale  of  military  sym 
pathy  and  outside  military  law. 

Some  words  that  he  says  to  one  of  his  captains 
strike  my  ear  and  make  me  desperate.  "Captain 
Gorgy,  did  you  issue  the  orders  for  the  arrest  before 
you  left  my  quarters?"  he  remarks  in  military  tone. 

"Yes,  Colonel,"  answers  the  Captain,  saluting;  "a 
lieutenant  and  a  platoon  of  men  are  seeking  for  the 
'old  Chinaman.  I  am  sorry  I  had  the  orders;  he  gave 
us  some  very  good  beef." 

I  know  to  whom  they  refer — Yaling!  It  is  dark 
now.  At  my  first  opportunity  I  must  warn  Sendai. 
His  life  depends  upon  it. 

Then  the  wedding  music  sounds  sweetly  and  softly 
as  if  there  were  naught  but  happiness  upon  this  earth, 
and  the  bride  enters  my  parlor  looking  very  pretty — 
very  trembling — very  blushing — yet  extremely  happy 
as  she  gazes  at  the  big  American  bridegroom  standing 
beside  her. 

Sophie  in  a  soft  green  gauze  looks  extremely  Ian- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  167 

guishing  as  she  stations  herself  with  Schevitch  just 
behind  Jack  Bristow  and  his  bride. 

The  wedding  ceremony  is  over.  As  the  groom  is 
pot  a  member  of  the  Eussian  Church  the  canopy  and 
candles  have  been  omitted.  The  padre  has  blessed 
them.  The  ring  has  passed,  Eussian  fashion.  Colonel 
Genke  has  placed  his  silvery  moustache  upon  Olga's 
forehead  and  presented  her  with  a  picture  of  her 
patron  saint. 

Every  one  is  soon  in  my  dining-room  drinking  the 
bride's  health.  Champagne  is  flowing.  Even  the 
martinet  Genke,  unbending  under  its  influence,  is  say 
ing  that  he  hopes  that  the  bond  between  a  Eussian 
young  lady  and  an  American  gentleman  will  be  a  har 
binger  of  friendship  between  the  two  great  countries. 

As  I  listen  to  him  I  can  see  that  the  Eussians  want 
sympathy  now  that  Japan  is  hitting  them  in  the  eye. 

The  whole  wedding  party  are  busy  over  the  good 
things  that  I  have  had  prepared  for  them,  for  I  have 
contrived  a  very  appetizing  supper,  and  the  frontier 
officers  are  eating  a  meal  that  they  would  hardly  get 
at  AlexeiefPs  vice-regal  palace.  I  want  to  keep  them 
occupied  sufficiently  to  forget  their  hostess  for  a  few 
minutes — that  is  all ! 

Now  is  my  opportunity.  I  will  pass  into  the  pan 
try,  apparently  to  give  orders  to  my  servants,  and 


168  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

from  there  into  the  darkness.  For  this  reason  I  ex 
cuse  myself  in  rather  a  loud  voice  to  Colonel  Genke, 
who  would  keep  his  young  hostess  by  his  side  and 
drink  another  glass  of  wine  with  her.  To  me  the 
veteran  whispers  gallantly  that  I  look  even  more 
charming  than  the  bride. 

Perhaps  I  do.     There  is  a  fever  in  my  veins. 

To  him  I  return  archly :  "You  shall  tell  me  more 
of  that  when  I  come  back,  my  dear  Colonel.  At  pres 
ent  you  must  excuse  your  hostess,  for  I  have  to  ar 
range  with  my  own  hands  a  piece  de  patisserie  for 
you.  A  few  minutes  and  you  will  see." 

I  break  away  from  him,  and  with  a  little  laugh  run 
off  into  my  pantry.    Here,  dodging  Ah  Tow,  who  is 
busy  with  the  other  Chinese  servants,  I  pass  out  by 
the  back  way  into  the  darkness. 
-My  feet  tremble  so  I  can  scarcely  walk. 

Pausing  a  moment  I  kilt  my  long  lace  skirts  to 
avoid  outlying  brambles,  and  knowing  the  garden 
path  very  well,  trip  cautiously  along  it.  The  night  is 
not  extremely  dark,  but  the  switch  lights  by  the 
water-tank  seem  warningly  bright  to  me.  As  I  near 
these  my  steps  are  very  silent;  the  railway  bridge  is 
so  close  that  the  Russian  sentries  may  challenge  me. 
I  cannot  remain  from  my  guests  more  than  a  few 
minutes.  I  grope  hastily  about  my  little  garden  house 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  169 

—no  one  is  there.  I  glide  to  the  asparagus  trench 
and  look  in;  I  can  distinguish  no  one.  A  touch  of 
sanity  in  my  mind  tells  me  I  am  taking  great 
risk  for  Sendai,  but  I  do  not  regret  it,  A  man  who 
ventures  his  life  for  love  of  me  shall  at  least  have 
some  return,  though  I  cannot  wed  him. 

I  again  peer  into  the  asparagus  trench.  No  one  is 
there.  Desperately  I  whisper :  "Johnny  Coolie !  Must 
see  you  quick,  Johnny  Coolie !" 

No  answer  but  the  rushing  swish  of  the  river  as  it 
flows  past  me  and  the  tramp  of  the  sentries  on  the 
bridge ;  though  as  I  listen  I  think  I  hear  a  movement 
in  the  garden  not  very  far  from  me.  I  blink  about 
but  can  distinguish  nothing  suspicious. 

Sendai  will  not  come  to  me  because  he  knowrs  the 
peril  word  with  him  might  bring  upon  me.  I  can 
not  linger,  Colonel  Genke  will  be  demanding  his 
hostess  soon. 

There  comes  floating  down  to  me  the  faint  music 
of  the  Eussian  band  from  my  cottage  on  the  hillside. 
It  is  a  ragtime  tune — one  of  those  I  heard  the  Japan 
ese  band  play  at  the  Tokyo  water  fete  as  Sendai  won 
the  geisha  girl  at  poker. 

Of  a  sudden  a  bright  but  cruel  expedient  enters  my 
head.  Not  daring  to  use  the  name  of  the  Mikado, 
which  all  Russians  know,  I  employ  the  title  by  which 


170  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

the  Japanese  Emperor  is  commonly  spoken  of  in 
Tokyo  streets,  and  whisper  into  the  trench:  "Awful 
news !  The  Tcnslii  has  been  assassinated  !" 

At  my  words,  from  the  end  of  £he  trench  near  the 
railway,  arises  a  kind  of  sighing  moan.  As  well  as 
I  can  seen  in  the  darkness,  an  earth-colored  mat  is 
pushed  aside  from  the  lower  part  of  the  excavation 
and  something  crawling  on  hands  and  knees  comes 
near  me  and  a  pair  of  eyes  blazing  with  agony  look 
into  mine,  as  to  me  is  shuddered:  "By  Izanagi,  tell 
me  that  is  not  true!'' 

"It  is  not !  It  is  a  cruel  lie !"  I  whisper.  "But  I 
was  compelled  to  have  word  with  you." 

Then  comes  the  answer  that  I  expect:  "No  com 
munication!  For  your  own  life,  esteemed  young 
lady,  leave  me !" 

"But  I  cannot  go,"  I  say  eagerly,  "until  I  have 
done  something  for  the  safety  of  the  man  who  has 
risked  his  life  for  a  glance  of  my  eyes.  Oh,  could 
you  not  foresee  coming  war  ?  Why  were  you  so  rash  in 
your  devotion  to  me  to  put  yourself  in  this  horrible 
jeopardy,  where  you  dare  not  even  conceal  yourself 
in  Tartar  hut,  and  are  compelled  to  dig  a  hole  in  the 
earth  to  keep  you  from  your  foes,  and  all  this  for  love 
of  me " 

My  Japanese  adorer  must  be  the  bravest  man  in  the 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  171 

world.  With  the  quick,  sharp  death  of  a  spy  hanging 
over  him  he  absolutely  laughs  slightly  at  my  terrors 
for  him.  Then  he  says  shortly :  "Not  another  sylla 
ble  !  Should  I  be  seized,  for  your  own  safety  before 
Eussian  court-martial,  you  must  be  able  to  swear  no 
word  of  warning  has  been  given  me  by  you/' 

"But  I  iv ill  warn  you !"  I  whisper  defiantly.  "Yal- 
ing,  who  engaged  you  as  gardener  here,  is  being 
sought  for  by  Russian  troops." 

My  words  "apparently  put  desperation  into  Sendai. 
They  have  scarce  left  my  lips  than  he  has  disap 
peared  into  the  trench  as  if  some  motive  had  forced 
him  to  immediate  and  rapid  action. 

I  dare  not  call  to  him  again.  I  have  told  him 
everything  I  can.  He  now  knows  Yaling  is  suspected. 
To  remain  longer  were  but  to  add  to  his  peril.  I  rap 
idly  but  tremblingly  make  my  way  up  the  garden  path 
to  the  back  door  of  my  cottage. 

Before  I  venture  into  the  house  I  hurriedly,  with 
quaking  hands,  unkilt  my  skirts  and  drop  the  long 
lace  petticoats  about  my  feet  so  that  the  half-frozen 
river  mud  that  must  now  soil  my  delicate  boots  and 
silken  stockings  shall  not  be  noticeable. 

As  I  enter  the  pantry  Yaling's  lazy  coolie,  who  has 
been  handing  refreshments  about  in  the  dining-room 
and  is  now  about  to  assist  Ah  Tow  in  bringing  in  the 


172  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

piece  de  patisserie  of  the  wedding  supper,  glances  at 
me  rather  earnestly. 

I  look  at  the  coolie  and  am  sure  I  have  never  seen 
his  cute  Mongolian  face  before. 

Then  I  step  into  my  dining-room,  followed  by  Ah 
Tow  and  the  other  boy,  bearing  two  big  pyramids, 
one  of  ice-cream  made  with  condensed  milk  and  the 
other  a  water  ice  of  oranges,  of  which  we  have  plenty 
in  the  house,  a  dozen  of  the  yellow  fruit  decorating 
the  dish. 

As  I  enter  the  band  is  playing  merrily  and  the 
champagne  is  flowing  rapidly.  Even  the  guard  of 
troops  outside  the  front  door  seem  to  be  merry,  for  I 
had  requested  Colonel  Genke  to  permit  his  men  to 
drink  the  bride's  health,  and  am  pretty  sure  that  they 
have  done  it  quite  thoroughly ;  the  lazy  coolie  having 
carelessly  given  them  more  vodka  than  I  had  ordered. 

Xo  one  has  missed  their  hostess's  presence;  even 
Schevitch  seems  to  be  devoted  to  Sophie  Ivlinkof- 
strom,  who  is  seated  by  him  eagerly  whispering  into 
his  ear. 

A  little  applause  greets  the  two  cool  pyramids; 
Russians  like  sweets  and  the  ices  arc  unexpected. 
The  Colonel  with  a  smile  beckons  me  to  his  side. 

"I  cannot  vouch  for  the  cream/'7  I  say,  modestly, 
"but  it  is  probably  as  good  as  you'd  get  at  Niuchwang 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  173 

or  Port  Arthur.  But  the  water  ice — fresh  oranges — 
I  can  recommend  it." 

"Yes,  if  you  have  sweetened  it  with  your  fingers," 
remarks  Genke,  with  Continental  military  gallantry. 

"I  have,"  I  laugh,  "I  squeezed  the  oranges." 

"Ah,  then  it  must  be  delicious." 

"But  everything  seems  appetizing  tonight !"  cries 
one  of  the  young  Russian  officers,  and  the  com 
pany  fall  upon  the  cool  pyramids  and  wash,  them 
down  with  champagne. 

About  this  time  I  chance  to  glance  at  the  blonde 
widow,  and  note  with  some  astonishment  several 
patches  of  mud  upon  the  green  gauzes  of  her  elab 
orately  trimmed  sweeping  skirt.  Has  she  been  in  the 
garden  also — perhaps  taking  a  lovers'  stroll  with 
Schevitch  ?  But  his  boots  seem  immaculate. 

Sophie  whispers  a  word  or  two  into  the  Baron's 
ear.  He  glances  at  the  lower  part  of  my  robe.  My 
eyes  follow  his.  Great  goodness !  I  had  not  kilted 
my  skirts  sufficiently  high  as  I  knelt  down  whispering 
into  the  trench — some  of  the  river  mud  has  soiled 
the  white  laces  of  my  trailing  evening  gown.  The 
tell-tale  evidence  is  on  my  jupes  now. 

I  grow  perturbed  and  cry  nervously  to  the  Colonel : 
"I  have  not  forgotten  your  invitation ;  now  for  a  glass 
of  champagne  with  me !" 


174  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

The  gallant  military  martinet  is  about  to  pour  out 
the  wine  when  the  Baron,  rising,  says  abruptly: 
"Colonel  Genke,  can  I  have  a  word  or  two  with  you 
in  the  parlor  for  one  moment?" 

Something  in  Schevitch's  manner  makes  Genke  re 
ply:  "Instantly!" 

But  as  he  leaves  the  room  he  whispers  pleasantly: 
"Fill  my  glass,  honored  Miss  Armstrong;  I  will  be 
back  with  you  in  a  moment." 

I  am  about  to  do  so,  but  Petrofsky  stepping  beside 
me  suggests,  courteously:  "Let  me  help  my  esteemed 
hostess."  To  me  he  whispers:  "You  are  quite  pale 
and  your  hand  is  trembling." 

As  he  pours  out  the  sparkling  liquid,  I  gaze  at  him 
dazed  by  a  sudden  suspicious  fear.  Why  has  Sophie 
mud  upon  her  skirts — why  after  her  whisper  did 
Schevitch  glance  at  my  soiled  train  and  immediately 
demand  word  with  the  Colonel  ? 

A  moment  later  Genke  commands  from  the  hall: 
"Captain  Petrofsky,  quick,  please!" 

The  Captain  steps  out  to  him,  and  I  tremble  as  I 
hear  Genke  order:  "Place  a  guard  about  the  house! 
Let  no  one  leave  it !  Then  take  a  detail  with  torches 
and  examine  carefully  and  thoroughly  the  garden  by 
the  bank  of  the  river !" 

I  hear  Petrofsky  order  his  men  to  step  lively ;  and  a 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  175 

score  of  twinkling  torches  are  gliding  down  the  river 
path. 

Eternal  Heaven !  has  my  visit  of  warning  brought 
suspicion  upon  Prince  Sendai  ? 

One  or  two  of  the  other  Eussian  officers  would  step 
out,  but  the  Colonel  says :  "Xo  need  of  your  services 
yet,  gentlemen;  continue  the  festivities.  Now,  hon 
ored  Miss  Armstrong,  I  will  drink  with  you." 

I  dare  give  no  sign;  I  do  not  venture  to  even  gaze 
out  of  the  window,  but  try  to  laugh  gaily  and  say  pert, 
coquettish  little  speeches  as  I  clink  my  glass  with  that 
of  the  Eussian  commander. 

So  the  wedding  fete  goes  on,  my  heart  colder  than 
the  ice-cream  I  force  myself  to  eat,  which  doesn't  ap 
pear  to  agree  with  me,  for  I  feel  desperately  sick  as 
I  listen  with  sinking  spirit  for  Petrofsky's  return. 
And  all  the  time  Schevitclrs  gray  eyes  are  asking  me 
questions  and  Sophie's  blue  orbs  have  a  horrible 
mocking  in  them.  Once  I  think  she  is  about  to  open 
her  lips  to  the  Colonel,  but  the  Baron's  hand  tightens 
on  her  round  white  arm  restrainingly. 

A  few  minutes  later  there  are  cries  and  commotion 
down  by  the  bridge  and  Petrofsky  comes  hurriedly 
back  with  an  additional  detail  of  men  and  requests 
his  commander  to  step  out  to  him.  By  the  Captain's 
face  I  know  something  momentous  has  happened. 


176  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

After  one  minute's  quick  conversation,  Colonel 
Genke's  words  ring  out:  "All  officers  and  men 
follow  Petrofsky!  Captain  Gorgy,  take  all  the  rail 
road  guards  and  examine  the  south  abutment  and 
mid-river  piers  of  the  bridge,  quick !"  Then,  for 
Olga  and  Sophie  have  uttered  little  screams,  he  tries 
to  calm  us  women  by  saying:  "There  is  no  need, 
ladies,  to  be  alarmed.  Though,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
we  have  caught  a  spy  red-handed.  Keep  the  music 
going." 

But  his  words,  despite  the  Colonel's  assurance,  put 
a  stop  to  festivity.  Jack  Bristow,  implored  by  his 
bride,  asks  hurriedly  of  Schevitch:  "What  the  deuce 
is  up  ?" 

"Oh,  nothing;  but  our  troops  have  caught  a  Japan 
ese  spy  attempting  to  blow  up  the  bridge  at  the  bot 
tom  of  the  grounds,  that's  all,"  answers  the  Baron 
with  a  curious  look  at  me — and  slips  into  the  parlor  to 
get  a  view  of  the  garden,  that  is  now  alive  with  men 
and  sparkling  with  torches. 

The  dining-room  has  no  view  of  the  river;  so  every 
one  is  in  the  parlor,  looking  out  of  its  windows.  But 
I  dare  not  gaze.  I  slink  miserably  back  into  the  din 
ing-room  and  shudder  and  shiver  and  pray  to  God 
for  poor  Sendai,  as  my  perturbed  eyes  rest  upon  the 
remnants  of  my  feast. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  177 

As  I  do  so  astonishment  makes  the  blood  rush 
through  my  veins  and  brings  back  warmth  to  my  cold 
heart.  The  lazy  coolie,  who  had  been  loafing  and 
smoking  about  the  grounds  during  the  afternoon  and 
waiting  carelessly  on  my  guests  during  the  evening 
and  recklessly  giving  vodka  to  the  soldiers  outside, 
now  picks  up  three  or  four  oranges  from  the  decora 
tion  of  the  water  ice,  tosses  them  in  the  air,  and,  as 
they  reach  the  apex  of  their  flight,  transfixes  each  by 
a  flying  fork.  Then  putting  another  fork  in  his  mouth, 
after  a  peculiar,  athletic  contortion,  he  catches  the 
last  descending  yellow  sphere  impaled  upon  it— and 
steps  quietly  into  the  butler's  pantry. 

God  of  Heaven,  I've  seen  that  marvelous  juggling 
before!  On  the  barge  at  the  Tokyo  water  fete! 
Though  the  face  in  its  wondrous  make-up  is  entirely 
that  of  a  Chinese  boy,  I  know  the  "lazy-coolie"  that 
has  been  brought  here  by  Yaling  is  Kamu  Iviguro, 
the  actor  of  the  Kabukiza  Theatre,  and  devoted  to 
Prince  Sendai  for  life  or  for  death,  after  the  manner 
of  the  Japanese  Samurai. 

But  Kiguro  can  do  nothing  to  save  his  daimio 
now  !  The  tramp  of  armed  men  tells  me  that.  Genke 
returns  to  the  house  and  says :  "Ladies  and  gentle 
men,  I  must  ask  you  to  vacate  the  parlor.  My  dear 
Miss  Armstrong,  I  beg  you  to  pardon  me,  but  I  am 


178  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

compelled  to  use  your  house  for  military  purposes  for 
an  hour.  The  sight  of  a  Japanese  prisoner  up  in  the 
village  would  create  such  excitement  among  the  na 
tive  population,  I  might  be  compelled  to  shoot  a  few  of 
them.  Captain  Petrofsky  and  Captain  Gorgy  will 
act  with  me — three  make  a  drumhead.  Schevitch,  we 
may  want  your  evidence,  though  from  my  own  eyes 
the  prisoner's  labors  are  evidence  enough  to  hang  a 
dozen  men!" 

My  knees  knock  together  as  I  think  of  poor  Sendai. 
I  look  at  the  flashing  torches  that  are  coming  up  the 
garden.  They  are  bringing  in  the  prisoner,  his  hands 
bound  behind  his  back  with  cruel  cords,  and 
heavily  guarded  by  men  who  handle  their  guns  ready 
to  shoot  him  down  if  he  dares  to  fly.  As  he  en 
ters  the  hall  the  lights  flash  on  Sendai's  face.  In 
some  way  I  know  that  my  visit  to  him  has  brought 
destruction  upon  him. 

I  turn  my  face  away  and  see  back  of  the  crowd  the 
coolie  juggler — and  oh,  Kiguro's  eyes,  as  they  bring 
his  beloved  master  in  to  death ! 

The  bride,  half  swooning,  has  been  supported  to 
her  own  room  by  her  husband.  Schevitch  and  Sophie 
sit  in  the  dining-room  whispering  earnestly  together. 
I  pace  the  rear  portion  of  my  hall,  the/ part  furthest 
from  the  parlor,  from  which  the  low  rumble  of  men's 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  179 

voices  seems  to  drive  me  crazy.  Three  doors  open 
from  this  part  of  the  hall,  one  to  my  own  bedroom,, 
another  to  Dad's,  which  is  now  occupied  by  Olga;  a 
third  to  the  clothes-closet,  which  leads  by  another 
dooj  into  my  chamber.  This  hall  continues  back  to 
the  servants'  rooms  and  kitchen. 

Soon  I  see  Genke  open  the  parlor  door,  an  uncom 
promising  harshness  on  his  face,  and  hear  him  com 
mand:  "This  way,  Baron  Schevitch;  we'll  hear  your 
evidence,  though  it's  practically  unnecessary.  Lieu 
tenant  Poloff  has  just  discovered  the  mine  with  its 
fuse  which  the  prisoner  was  about  to  explode  under 
the  abutment." 

Schevitch  passes  into  the  parlor  with  the  Colonel. 
To  myself  I  jeer :  "Accused  of  attempting  to  blow  up 
the  bridge  ?  What  idiotic  nonsense !  When  the  un 
fortunate  Japanese  Prince  came  here  for  love  of  me  !" 

With  this  a  little  hope  for  Sendai  enters  my  heart. 
They'll  not  be  cruel  enough  to  kill  a  man  because  he 
could  not  keep  away  from  my  bright  eyes.  At  all 
events,  notwithstanding  the  frightfully  embarrass 
ing  nature  of  my  explanation,  whether  it  brings  dan 
ger  to  me  or  not,  the  court-martial  must  hear  the 
truth  from  my  lips  about  the  unfortunate  Japanese 
Prince. 


EPISODE    THE    THIRD. 

THE   MIDNIGHT    SUBSTITUTION. 
CHAPTER   VII. 

SENDAI'S   SACRIFICE   FOR   ME. 

I  rap  rapidly  on  Olga's  door.  Jack  Bristow  steps 
out  to  me  and  looks  astonished  as  I  say:  "Please  let 
Colonel  Genke  know  that  I  must  give  my  evidence 
before  that  court." 

"Indeed,  you  mustn't !"  the  American  answers.  "If 
you  had  anything  to  do  with  the  matter  you  must 
keep  quiet  for  your  own  safety,  Miss  Armstrong.  Be 
sides,  the  sight  of  a  Japanese  spy  about  to  be  executed 
is  too  cruel  a  spectacle  for  a  woman's  eyes." 

"I  were  a  miserable  coward  if  I  let  them  execute 
that  man/'  I  whisper  hoarsely,  "and  did  not  tell  them 
what  might  save  his  life!" 

"Save  the  life  of  a  Jap  spy  ?  At  this  moment  noth 
ing  could  do  that,"  mutters  Jack,  unbelievingly. 

Here  Olga,  stepping  out  to  us,  would  nervously  call 
her  bridegroom  to  her,  but  he  replies  to  the  sweet  girl 
180 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  181 

very  tenderly:  "Remain  in  your  room,,  please,  dear 
one.  I  am  all  right,  though  Miss  Armstrong  is,  I 
fear,  in  trouble !" 

All  the  time  the  tramp  of  the  sentries  about  the 
house  and  the  low  hum  of  conversation  from  the  room 
in  which  the  drumhead  court-martial  is  held  seem  to 
compel  my  evidence.  I  say,  frantically:  "You  must 
get  me  an  interview  with  Genke." 

Seeing  I  am  resolved,  Jack  leads  Olga  in  her  room, 
gives  her  a  reassuring  kiss,  comes  to  my  side,  and  re 
marks  gloomily  but  resolutely:  "Now,  Miss  Arm 
strong,  I  will  step  in  with  you  to  the  court-martial 
and  keep  you  out  of  trouble  if  I  can." 

I  imagine  Bristow  thinks  I  am  demented. 

Together  we  walk  along  the  hall  to  the  parlor  door. 
In  front  of  it  stand  two  sentries,  who  cross  their 
rifles  to  bar  my  entrance.  But  I  call  out:  "Colonel 
Genke,  please  tell  your  men  to  let  me  in.  I  have 
some  evidence  to  give  you — evidence  that  is  important 
for  the  prisoner." 

An  orderly  opens  the  door  and  the  Colonel,  whose 
face  is  now  frigid  with  determination,  and  whose 
bearing  is  that  of  the  judicial  military  autocrat,  says, 
curtly:  "No  court-martial  can  be  deaf  to  such  a  de 
mand  !"  and  motions  me  into  the  parlor ;  Jack,  though 
uninvited,  resolutely  stepping  after  me.  I  can  see 


182  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

by  Bristow's  bearing  that  he  means  to  stand  by  an 
American  girl  no  matter  what  it  may  cost  him.  His 
hand  is  cold  as  he  gives  mine  a  reassuring  squeeze  and 
we  look  upon  the  cruel  scene. 

My  parlor,  still  bright  with  the  green  decorations 
for  the  wedding,  has  become  a  place  of  awful  retalia 
tion — that  they  call  military  justice.  The  center- 
table  holding  Sendai's  princely  gift  to  me  has  been 
shoved  aside  and  replaced  by  an  upturned  drum. 
Around  this  Colonel  Genke  and  his  two  captains  are 
seated.  Upon  it  Captain  Gorgy,  writing  hurriedly,  is 
recording  the  evidence  The  lamps  in  the  room  are 
turned  up.  In  their  full  light,  standing  securely 
bound  before  his  judges,  his  disguising  pigtail  having 
been  pulled  from  his  head,  I  see  Prince  Sendai.  A 
bitter  disappointment  makes  his  dark  eyes  sad,  but  no 
trace  of  fear  is  upon  his  delicate  but  determined  fea 
tures,  that  are  as  aristocratically  debonair  as  when 
he  held  up  four  queens  and  won  a  trembling  geisha 
girl  in  Tokyo. 

Schevitch,  who  has  apparently  finished  his  evi 
dence,  gives  me  a  quick,  veiled  glance  of  awful  warn 
ing;  but  unheeding  this,  I  confront  the  dread  con 
clave.  The  three  officers  rise  to  meet  me  and  headed 
by  Genke  bow  punctiliously. 

"Gentlemen,"  I  say,  hurriedly,  desperately,  for  I 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  183 

am  perfectly  aware  I  am  putting  peril  upon  myself. 
"I  demand  to  be  permitted  to  give  my  evidence  in 
favor  of  this  gentleman  here  who " 

But  Genke,  cutting  short  my  words,  interrupts  me 
sharply:  "Baron  Schevitch  has  already  identified  the 
prisoner  as  Prince  Sendai,  an  officer  of  the  Japanese 
General  Staff  and  Captain  in  their  Engineer  Corps. 
Your  evidence  is  entirely  unnecessary.,  honored  Miss 
Armstrong/' 

I  can  see  the  Colonel  intends  to  prevent  my  saying 
anything  that  may  compromise  me. 

"In  addition/'  he  goes  on,  "the  proof  against  the 
prisoner  is  absolutely  complete.  He  was  seized  in 
the  very  act  of  placing  a  mine  under  the  abutment  of 
that  bridge.  For  this  purpose  he  had  already  with 
wondrous  engineering  skill,  without  timber  supports, 
excavated  a  tunnel  nearly  thirty  yards  in  length ;  and 
so  small  he  must  have  crawled  through  it  on  his  hands 
and  knees.  Had  he  not  been  seized,  in  less  than  an 
hour  our  railway  communication  with  Port  Arthur 
would  have  been  destroyed." 

"That  is  nonsense !"  I  ejaculate,  hurriedly. 

Here  the  prisoner  interrupts  me — the  first  impo 
lite  act  of  his  life  to  me.  "Colonel  Genke,"  he  says, 
"to  prevent  the  American  young  lady  saying  a  word 
in  this  trial,  I  announce  myself  as  the  Japanese  officer 


184  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

identified  by  Baron  Schevitch.  I  assert  that  if  I  had 
had  but  another  hour,  I  would  have  blown  up  that 
bridge.  In  fact,  had  the  earth  not  caved  upon  me  last 
night,,  for  I  dared  not  use  timber,,  I  would  have  sent 
that  abutment  into  the  air  while  your  music  up  here 
was  playing  the  wedding  march.  It  would  have  been 
as  good  as  a  victorious  battle  to  my  Mikado !" 

There  is  no  bravado  in  his  concise  words;  he  is  sim 
ply  making  a  military  statement. 

Then  comes  a  scene  of  old-time  chivalry  in  this 
modern  world.  The  Colonel  salutes  his  prisoner  def 
erentially,  and  remarks:  "I  thank  you,  Captain 
Prince  Sendai,  for  not  permitting  this  devoted  young 
lady's  evidence,  which  might  have  been  cruelly  unfor 
tunate  for  her.  As  an  officer  of  the  Japanese  General 
Staff  you  know  the  laws  of  war  as  well  as  I.  I  have 
got  to  hang  you,  but  I  shall  take  off  my  hat  to  you  as 
a  brave  man."  Petrofsky  and  Gorgy  also  salute  rev 
erently  the  chivalric  spirit  they  are  going  to  send  to 
another  world.  A  half-dozen  sharp  words  with  his 
officers,  and  Genke  condemns  the  man,  whose  real 
crime  is  loving  me,  to  be  hung  from  the  girders  of  the 
bridge.  "This  will  prove  to  the  Chinese  malcontents 
about  us  that  it  is  death  to  meddle  with  our  railway," 
he  remarks,  curtly. 

As  he  speaks,  I  break  in  almost  hysterically:    "I 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  185 

will  be  heard!  This  mine  business  is  all  nonsense! 
It  is  but  to  save  me  from  danger  that  Sendai  acknowl 
edges  what  makes  it  impossible  for  you  to  spare  him." 

Bound  as  he  is,  the  Prince  tries  to  interrupt  me  by 
a  gesture,  but  I  continue  almost  deliriously:  "In 
Tokyo  he  believed  himself  my  affianced.  You  cannot 
deny  it,  Sendai.  Look,  his  princely  present  shows 
that!"  I  point  to  the  magnificent  cloisonne  orna 
ment  as  it  stands  upon  my  table. 

The  grandeur  of  the  Prince's  gift  impresses  the 
Russian  officers.  As  they  gaze  upon  it,  Sendai's  face 
seems  astonished,  almost  appalled. 

He  is  about  to  speak,  but  I  break  out  deliriously 
again :  "That  man  came  to  this  country  simply  to  see 
mv  face — his  sweetheart's !  Though  there  was  suffi 
cient  feeling  between  his  country  and  yours  to  prevent 
his  getting  a  passport,  it  was  before  the  war  broke  out. 
The  sudden  attack  of  the  Japanese,  which  was  as  un 
expected  to  him  as  to  you  Eussian  officers,  cut  him  off 
from  return  to  his  country.  He  was  compelled  to 
seek  safety  in  the  disguise  of  a  coolie  laborer.  That 
is  his  whole  crime — loving  me — his  affianced  !" 

Then  I  pause  shamefacedly.  I  turn  away  my  head ; 
my  countenance,  which  had  been  pallid,  grows  red 
with  blushes  under  Sendai's  piercing  glance.  Oh,  the 
gratitude  in  his  dark  eyes ! 


186  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"How  do  you  know  this  ?"  asks  Gorgy  suddenly  and 
suspiciously. 

But  Genke  imperiously  signals  for  me  not  to  an 
swer  his  officer. 

"She  knows  nothing,"  interjects  the  Japanese 
Prince.  "Do  you  suppose  I  would  make  a  woman 
an  accomplice  in  a  desperate  military  attempt?  Xo, 
no,  gentlemen;  esteemed  Miss  Armstrong,"  his  eyes 
again  rest  gratefully  upon  me,  "was  no  more  cogniz 
ant  of  my  attempt  to  blow  up  the  bridge  than  any 
other  lady  in  this  house." 

"I  thoroughly  believe  you,  Prince  Sendai,"  remarks 
Gcnke  sententiously.  "What  you  have  said,  honored 
Mademoiselle,  is  unofficial  to  me,  the  court-martial 
having  been  closed.  In  addition,  the  fact  that  the 
prisoner  was  arranging  the  explosives  to  blow  up  the 
abutment  of  the  bridge  even  as  he  was  seized  is  proof 
that  your  words  were  simply  the  ravings  of  an  unfor 
tunate  girl  who  is  mad  for  love  of  a  very  brave  gentle 
man,  who,  when  he  dies,  shall  be  saluted  by  the  troops 
who  execute  him.  No,  no,  I'll  not  listen  to  you !  Mr. 
Bristow,  I  beg  you  to  remove  your  unfortunate  coun 
try-woman.  Don't  let  her  say  another  word.  His 
fiancee — My  God — it  is  too  horrible  !" 

The  Russian  commander  turns  from  me  to  the 
prisoner  and  remarks :  "Before  you  die,  is  there  any- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  187 

thing  my  military  duty  will  permit  me  to  do  for  you, 
Prince  ?" 

Apparently  Sendai  thinks  deeply  for  a  moment — 
I  believe  on  Genke's  last  remark  about  me — then  an 
swers  quickly.  "Yes,  I  would  like  to  write  to  my 
family,  a  few  minutes'  interview  with  this  young 
lady,  and  also  a  good  cigar.  I  have  smoked  coolie  to 
bacco  until  another  whiff  of  the  accursed  stuff  would, 
I  think,  kill  me/7  smiles  the  man  who  is  about  to  die. 

Then  how  courteous  they  are  to  him  who  has  no 
hope.  The  three  officers  who  have  condemned  him 
each  offers  his  cigar  case,  and  Petrof sky  says :  "Mine 
are  the  best,  I  believe/'  and  places  one  within  the 
bound  man's  lips,  and  the  Prince  being  helpless, 
lights  it  with  his  own  hands. 

From  this,  desperately  angry  with  every  one,  I  am 
almost  dragged  by  Jack  Bristow.  They  have  accused 
me  of  loving  the  Prince  when  it  is  only  the  Prince 
loves  me. 

"Hang  it,  if  you'd  been  a  man,  Miss  Highfalutin, 
the  Russians  would  have  you  up  before  a  drumhead 
now.  They  must  guess  that  you  had  interview  with 
your  Japanese  lover  and  protected  him.  By  Heaven, 
if  you  were  not  an  American  girl — and  they  don't 
want  to  make  a  breach  between  the  two  countries — 
God  knows  what  military  law  would  compel  them  to 


188  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

do  to  you!"  mutters  Jack,  as  he  almost  forces  me 
along  the  passage.  "Xow,  for  your  father's  sake,  not 
another  word  to  Gcnke;  you've  strained  his  military 
duty  to  the  very  limit." 

Olga  is  anxiously  waiting  for  her  young  husband 
?.t  the  door  of  her  chamber.  As  he  steps  in  with  her, 
I  hear  him  whisper :  "That  fool  Armstrong  girl,  who 
thinks  every  man  is  in  love  with  her,  has  nearly  put 
a  noose  about  her  own  neck!" 

"  'Thinks  every  man  in  love  with  her !' "  I  jeer 
mentally,  "I  know  Sendai  is  in  love  with  me !  What 
greater  passion  could  man  show  for  woman  than  dy 
ing  for  her?" 

Here  Petrof sky '  comes  along  the  hall  to  me  and 
says:  "I  must  take  the  liberty  of  putting  the  con 
demned  man  in  your  chamber,  esteemed  Miss  Arm 
strong,  where  he  can  write  his  letter.  After  that  is 
over,  Genke  directs  me  to  give  you  a  few  moments  to 
bid  your  fiance  good-bye.  We  all  appreciate  how 
madly  you  love  him." 

"How  madly  I  love  him  ?  How  about  Sendai  ?"  I 
whisper  to  myself  savagely;  for  these  idiot  Russian 
officers  hurt  my  pride — they  think  Sendai  only  came 
here  to  destroy  the  bridge  and  not  because  life  was 
not  worth  living  unless  he  saw  my  face ! 

Sweet  Olga  glides  from  her  room,  and  putting  her 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  189 

soft  arms  about  me  whispers,  sadly:  "Darling,  I  am 
so  sorry  that  you  love  him."  But  I  shake  her  off  with 
a  cry  that  she  thinks  is  of  horror,  but  it  is  of  rage, 
and  the  bride,  gazing  at  me  sympathetically,  returns 
to  her  husband. 

They  all  believe  I  love  the  condemned  Prince.  Even 
Sophie  Klinkofstrom,  though  she  does  not  approach 
me,  looks  sneakingly  at  me  from  a  distance  as  if  she 
were  sorry  for  me,  yet  didn't  dare  to  voice  it. 

In  some  way,  I  think  she  must  have  had  to  do  with 
Sendai's  seizure,  and  now  regrets  it.  Great  powers ! 
does  she  believe  that  I  am  enamored  of  the  dying 
Japanese,  and  is  therefore  no  longer  jealous  of  me 
and  Schevitch? 

Meantime  Petrofsky  has  gone  back  to  the  Colonel, 
who  I  hear  in  my  parlor  directing  sternly :  "Captain, 
the  execution  is  under  your  direction.  Eemember 
you  answer  for  the  prisoner  with  your  own  life." 

"I  understand  that!"  replies  the  young  officer 
stoutly.  "There  is  no  possible  chance  of  his  escape; 
a  treble  cordon  of  guards  surround  this  house ;  double 
sentries  will  also  be  outside  of  the  windows  of  the 
room,  and  two  at  the  door.  Besides,  the  prisoner  is 
securely  bound.  No  Japanese  spy  escapes  me.  But  to 
make  sure  I" 

With  these  words  Petrofsky  steps  into  my  bedroom, 


190  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

and  examines  it  thoroughly,  returning  to  the  hall  by 
the  door  that  leads  from  its  big  clothes-closet.  Then 
I  hear  him  report :  "There  is  no  exit  from  that  room 
to  the  outside  of  the  house  but  the  windows,  before 
each  of  which  I  have  placed  two  special  sentries. " 

A  moment  later  Petrofsky  returns  along  the  hall 
from  the  room  of  the  court-martial,  followed  by  the 
"lazy-coolie"  bearing  pens,  ink  and  writing  paper. 
These  under  the  Captain's  orders  he  arranges  on  the 
table  in  my  bedroom. 

From  this  Petrofsky  steps  out  and  returns  to  his 
commanding  officer,  but  somehow  I  think,  as  I  stand 
at  the  far  end  of  the  hall  looking  on  in  a  dazed  way, 
the  "lazy-coolie"  has  not  followed  him.  This  may  not 
be  true,  however ;  my  senses  are  too  benumbed  for  very 
accurate  observation. 

The  tramp  of  the  additional  sentries  outside  my 
window  comes  to  me  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  for 
everyone  in  the  house  is  very  quiet  now.  I  give  a 
little  sigh — there  is  no  hope  in  this  world  for  Sendai. 

They  have  brought  the  prisoner  along  the  passage 
way  and  put  him  in  my  bedroom.  The  patrol  out 
side,  as  well  as  rifles,  carry  torches  that  illuminate 
the  grounds  all  about  the  house.  Two  sentries,  their 
guns  ready  for  immediate  action,  are  standing  in 
front  of  the  door  of  my  bedroom.  Then  I  hear  some 


MY  JAPANESE  PEINCE  191 

hoarse  commands  about  the  provost-marshal  prepar 
ing  the  noose  down  at  the  bridge  and  tremble  so  I 
can  scarcely  stand. 

"You  are  thinking  that  your  life  is  in  danger/' 
whispers  Schevitch,  noting  my  agitation  and  taking 
this  opportunity  to  get  close  to  me. 

"No,  I  am  thinking  about  Sendai's,  whom  they  are 
going  to  murder  down  there  because  he  loves  me,"  I 
shudder. 

"To  save  your  life  is  now  the  important  thing/* 
says  the  Baron  under  his  breath.  He  has  drawn  ma 
to  the  extreme  end  of  the  passageway  so  that  no  one 
can  overhear  us.  "Sophie  saw  you  leave  the  house 
and  followed  you/7  he  whispers.  "She  overheard 
your  interview  with  the  spy  as  he  dug  in  his  tunnel." 

There  is  an  intention  in  his  tone  which  makes  me 
turn  my  thoughts  to  myself. 

"Fortunately,  Madame  Klinkofstrom  came  to  me 
first  with  her  story,"  observes  Schevitch  cautiously, 
"and  though  I  am  too  good  a  Russian  not  to  have 
sacrificed  even  your  life  to  prevent  the  destruction  of 
that  bridge,  I  was  able  to  invent  a  sufficiently  plaus 
ible  story,  without  implicating  you  too  much,  to  place 
Genke  on  the  alert  and  insure  the  immediate  search 
of  the  gardens  and  the  instant  seizure  and  arrest  of 
anyone  attempting  to  mine  the  abutment.  You  noticed 


192  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

the  chivalric  Colonel,,  fearing  you  might  put  danger 
upon  yourself  by  your  evidence,  stopped  your  mouth,, 
and  by  closing  the  court-martial  prevented  any  official 
record  of  your  ravings.  But  if  by  any  unfortunate 
accident,  Sophie's  evidence  of  your  words  of  warning 
to  Sendai,  especially  those  in  regard  to  Yaling,  be 
given  to  Genke,  notwithstanding  you  are  an  American, 
I  fear  for  your  life.  Those  mudstains  on  your  pretty 
boots  would  be  quite  compromising/' 

The  implied  threat  in  his  suave  voice  is  so  impres 
sive  that  I  gaze  upon  him  startled.  Perhaps  my 
agitation  adds  to  my  beauty. 

Schevitch  looks  at  me  as  if  he  would  devour  me 
and  his  voice  is  low  with  passion  as  he  continues, 
hoarsely:  "You  know  how  I  have  longed  for  your 
loveliness,  how  I  have  waited  to  be  sure  of  winning 
it.  Now,  sweet  Miss  Armstrong,  I  will  take  a 
great  risk — every  risk — to  save  the  woman  who  is 
to  be  my  wife,  but  for  no  one  else!  Sophie's  relations 
to  me,  I  will  simply  tell  you,  are  such  that  she  dare 
not  open  her  mouth,  except  with  my  permission." 

There  is  an  implied  possession  in  his  tone  that 
makes  me  furious.  "Oh,  you  think  I  will  marry  you 
to  save  my  life !"  I  whisper  indignantly.  "But  your 
ignoble  threat  makes  me  know  I  had  better  die,  Baron 
Schevitch,  than  be  your  wife." 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  193 

"Be  careful !"  he  commands. 

"Be  careful  yourself  I"  I  answer  acutely.  "Neither 
you  nor  Madame  Klinkofstrom  dare  now  say  a  word 
about  me.  You  concealed  the  truth  from  Genke  as 
well  as  I  did.  As  Russians,  your  doom  will  be  much 
more  summary  and  severe  than  mine  I"  My  voice  has 
grown  high  with  indignation. 

"Hush,  not  so  loud!"  shudders  Schevitch;  "Pe- 
trofsky's  coining." 

I  know  by  the  Baron's  perturbed  manner  that  I've 
hit  him  in  a  vital  spot.  "Good-bye  forever,  Monsieur," 
I  remark,  with  a  haughty  bow.  My  eyes  blaze  like  a 
conqueror's  as  he  turns  away  with  a  longing  look  at 
Hilda  Armstrong,  who  will  never  be  his. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

WHAT    MORE    CAN    MAN    GIVE? 

The  next  moment  I  droop  with  sorrowful  sympathy 
as  the  Captain  in  charge  of  the  execution  stands  he- 
fore  me  and  says :  "The  prisoner  has  finished  his  letter 
and  has  requested  a  few  moments'  interview  with  you, 
honored  young  lady.  I  need  hardly  say  that  it  must 
be  brief." 

Of  course,  I  cannot  refuse  to  see  Sendai. 

So  Petrofsky  leads  me  into  my  own  chamber  where 
the  Prince,  who  has  ended  his  writing  and  has  been 
bound  again,  is  seated.  On  the  table  before  him  is 
a  letter  addressed  to  his  father. 

My  room  has  not  been  disturbed,  even  a  pair  of 
dressing  slippers  I  had  carelessly  kicked  aside,  as  I 
made  my  evening  toilet,  are  lying  on  the  floor. 

At  Petrofsky's  order,  the  two  Russian  soldiers  take 
their  station  outside  the  door  of  the  room,  though 
the  Captain  bows  and  says :  "I  hope  you  will  pardon 
me,  but  I  must  remain,"  but  strolls  to  the  other  side 
of  the  apartment,  directing  his  glance  from  us. 

194 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  195 

Then,  blushingly  and  covered  with  a  supreme  em 
barrassment,  I  turn  agonized  eyes  on  the  face  of  the 
man  who  is  dying  because  he  loves  me,  and  Sendai 
startles  me  by  these  astounding  words:  "Honored 
Miss  Armstrong,  your  self-sacrificing  revelations  to 
the  court-martial  have  placed  a  duty  upon  me.  To 
prevent  your  name  being  unpleasantly  commented 
upon  from  your  evidence,  so  nobly  offered  to  save  me 
from  death,  I  think  it  wise  that  you  accept  my  name 
to  protect  you." 

I  give  a  startled  cry. 

"Oh,  you  need  not  tremble  so  !"  he  half  laughs.  "I 
shall  be  dead  in  fifteen  minutes.  But  wedded  to  me, 
no  slur  can  come  upon  your  fair  fame.  In  my  coun 
try  it  would  not  matter,  but  in  Connecticut !"  He 
shrugs  his  bound  shoulders.  "If  you  will  honor  me 
by  becoming  my  wife,  I  shall  die  the  happier  be 
cause  I  will  know  that  no  scandalous  gossip,  such  as 
is  current  in  your  country,  can  arise  when  your  gener 
ous  attempt  to  aid  me  is  mentioned  in  American  so 
ciety." 

A  thousand  conflicting  emotions  are  in  my  soul; 
the  noble  forethought  of  the  dying  man  touches  me 
deeply.  I  gaze  upon  him  gratefully.  Deified  by  ap 
proaching  death,  the  features  of  Prince  Sendai  are 
sublime  in  self  restraint.  Something  that  has  never 


196  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

come  into  my  heart  in  regard  to  this  man  who  thinks 
of  me,  even  in  dissolution,  seems  to  develop  there  now. 
Besides,  his  marrying  me  will  prove  that  he  came 
here  at  risk  of  death  for  love  of  me;  that  my  words 
were  not  mad  ravings !  Johnny  Bristow  will  know 
"that  fool  Armstrong  girl,"  who  thinks  every  man 
is  in  love  with  her,  was  right  in  regard  to  one  man. 

Pinkie  Caldwell,  in  Tokyo,  will  at  last  believe  in 
Sendai's  devotion  to  me.  In  addition,  marriage  will 
stop  Dad's  mouth  when  he  hears  about  this  deplor 
able  affair.  He  couldn't  say  unkind  things  to  a 
uidow.  Besides,  a  Japanese  Princess!  I  see  in 
imagination  in  the  papers:  "The  widowed  Princess 
Sendai  returns  to  America—  Oh,  God  forgive  me 
for  such  an  ignoble  idea  when  he  is  going  to  die  in 
fifteen  minutes !  But  by  Heaven,  if  it  will  make  his 
last  few  moments  happier  to  know  that  I  bear  his 
name,  I'll  marry  him ! 

"Okashi,  your  wishes  shall  be  regarded/'  I  say 
falteringly,  then  I  force  myself  to  step  to  Captain  Pe- 
trof sky,  and  stammer :  "Prince  Sendai  and  I  wish  to 
be  mar — married." 

The  Kussian  officer  gazes  at  me  startled.  But  my 
red  face  tells  him  he  has  heard  correctly. 

"For  that  I  must  have  my  commander's  consent," 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  197 

he  replies  courteously;  and  not  leaving  the  room, 
sends  a  soldier  to  beg  his  Colonel's  presence. 

Genke  comes  briskly  in  and  looks  at  us  both  quite 
sadly  as  Okashi  says,  in  his  soft,  melodious,  measured 
voice:  "One  last  favor,  Captain,  to  a  dying  man. 
Permit  this  lady  to  become  my  wife.  I  have  fair  es 
tates  in  Japan  that  should  be  those  of  a  woman  who 
has  risked  so  much  for  me.  Besides,  she  wishes  it." 

"Do  you?"  the  veteran  asks  curtly  as  he  turns  to 
me. 

Something  in  my  throat  prevents  my  speaking,  but 
I  nod  my  head. 

"Humph,  you  want  to  become  his  widow,"  growls 
Genke ;  then  queries  dubiously :  "But  the  ceremony  ?" 

"Oh,  let  the  Eussian  priest  who  came  to  offer  me 
the  consolations  of  his  Church  say  a  few  words  over 
us.  He's  in  the  house  now,"  responds  Sendai.  "The 
marriage  laws  of  Dai  Nippon  are  liberal.  Any  wed 
ding  legal  in  a  foreign  country  is  legal  there.  Be 
sides,  in  Japan  we  practically  have  no  ceremony. 
The  bride  simply  drinks  three  flagons  of  wine  with  her 
husband  and  goes  to  live  in  his  house.  Apropos  of 
that,  I  must  say  a  word  to  you  in  private,  Colonel." 

Oenke  bends  down  over  the  bound  man  and  the 
Japanese  officer  whispers  a  sentence  or  two  in  his 
ear. 


198  'MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Oh,  yes,  of  course/'  Genke  bursts  into  a  hoarse 
laugh.  "As  I  understand  you,  it  is  necessary  that  you 
should  spend  ten  minutes  entirely  alone  with  the  bride 
to  give  the  ceremony  complete  effect." 

"Yes,"  answers  Sendai  shortly.  My  face  is  red  as 
vermilion  as  I  hear  the  words.  "It  is  only  a  form," 
whispers  the  Prince  to  me.  "I  shall  be  bound  and 
helpless  in  the  presence  of  my  bride." 

My  head  buzzes  so  I  can  scarcely  see.  If  Sendai 
were  not  going  to  die  I  would  not  marry  him.  But 
now — what  does  it  matter  ? 

Then  the  Russian  priest  is  brought  in  and  says 
the  words  of  marriage  over  us.  I  do  not  understand 
them,  but  I  know  I  have  become  the  wife  of  a  dying 
man — that  is  all. 

With  a  courteous  bow  the  Russian  officers,  who  have 
stood  throughout  the  ceremony,  turn  to  leave  husband 
and  wife  together,  though  Genke  looks  at  his  watch 
and  says  significantly:  "Only  ten  minutes,  Sendai. 
I  shall  hang  you  at  midnight." 

"I  understand,"  whispers  my  husband. 

"Of  course,  I  have  your  parole,  Prince,  if  we  ac 
cord  you  the  ten  minutes'  tete-a-tete  with  your  bride," 
demands  the  military  martinet. 

"Certainly!"  answers  the  dying  man.  "You  have 
my  word,  rescue  or  no  rescue,  till  twelve  o'clock.  I 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  199 

suppose  that  will  be  sufficient/'  he  half  laughs.  Oh, 
how  can  this  man  jest  when  he  is  going  to  lose  me  in 
ten  brief  minutes ! 

"Diable,  that  will  be  long  enough!"  mutters  the 
Colonel  grimly,  as  he  and  Petrofsky  leave  the  room, 
closing  the  door  behind  them.  We  are  alone  together ! 

But  I  hear  Petrofsky  order  the  sentries  to  keep 
their  eyes  wide  open,  and  though  the  blinds  are 
drawn,  the  measured  tread  of  the  patrol  on  the  porti 
co  outside  tells  of  alert  and  watchful  guards. 

I  gaze  piteously  upon  the  dying  man,  whose  mili 
tary  pledge  now  binds  him  to  death.  Seated  before 
me  bound  and  helpless,  the  Prince  says  breezily,  a 
little  smile  rippling  his  pale  face :  "Hilda,  just  put 
that  cigar  between  my  lips  and  light  it  for  me,  little 
woman." 

His  careless  husband's  words,  American  fashion, 
bring  the  tears  into  my  eyes  as  with  trembling  hands 
I  do  his  bidding. 

Seeing  that  I  am  agitated  to  the  verge  of  hysteria, 
the  Prince's  manner  loses  its  formality.  Apparently 
anxious  to  give  me  courage,  he  continues  easily :  "Now, 
wife,  cheer  up  and  sit  beside  me.  Let  my  last  words 
be  to  thank  you  for  the  nobility  of  your  attempted 
sacrifice  to  me.  I  perfectly  understand  American 
customs  and  knew  that  you  did  not  consider  corres- 


200  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

pondence  with  me  an  engagement."  Sendai's  voice 
is  as  calm  as  if  he  were  in  a  Tokyo  tea-house.  "The 
only  request  I  have  to  make  you,,  is  that  yqu  will  de 
liver  this  letter,"  he  nods  towards  the  one  on  the 
table,  "to  my  father  and  mother  in  Japan.  In  it 
I  bid  them  to  accord  all  honor  and  consideration  to 
my  widow.  They  will  treat  you  as  if  you  were  a 
daughter  of  our  house,  for  their  son's  sake." 

I  sink  down  half  sobbing  by  his  side.  Then  his 
lips  hardly  move  as  they  breathe  into  my  ear,  scarce 
audible  words :  "As  you  love  your  life,  never  whisper 
as  long  as  you  are  in  Eussian  territory  of  the  letter 
you  sent  me  to  Japan  giving  the  date  of  Admiral 
Stark's  saintVday  fete,"  and  listening  to  him  I  know 
that  my  epistle  brought  disaster  upon  the  Eussian 
fleet. 

But  I  forget  my  own  peril  in  thinking  of  Sendai's 
coming  death.  I  can  scarce  restrain  my  screams.  It  is 
weird,  uncanny,  monstrous  to  see  a  man  in  the  full 
vigor  of  life,  yet  to  know  that  in  ten  short  minutes 
those  bright  eyes  will  shine  no  more  and  those  red 
lips  that  speak  in  such  distinct  soft  phrases  will  be 
forever  silent. 

As  I  look  on  Sendai,  the  majesty  of  the  dead  seems 
to  ennoble  and  enshrine  him — my  dying  husband.  I 
remember  how  his  grand  love  for  me  has  brought 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  201 

him  to  ignoble  death.  Something  that  has  never  been 
there  before  comes  into  my  heart  and  I  put  my  lips 
upon  his  broad  pale  forehead  begrimed  by  coolie  dirt 
and  shudder :  "If  I  could  but  save  you !" 

As  if  in  answer  to  my  words,  from  the  large  clothes- 
closet  that  also  connects  with  the  hall  glides  into  us  a 
second  Prince  Sendai. 

I  start  up  and  would  shriek  in  astonishment,  but 
my  tongue  seems  paralyzed. 

Bowing  before  the  bound  Prince  with  the  stilted 
grace  of  the  samurai  is  the  actor  of  the  Kabukiza 
Theatre,  looking  like  the  ghost  when  I  first  saw  him 
on  the  day  of  the  Tokyo  water  fete,  save  that  he  is 
in  begrimed  coolie  garments  and  has  his  pigtail  torn 
from  his  head  as  the  true  Sendai's  had  been  when 
seized  by  the  Russians. 
The  two  are  counterparts! 

The  prisoner's  eyes  almost  start  from  his  head. 
"Kiguro!"  he  ejaculates;  then  mutters,  struggling 
with  his  bonds:  "No,  no,  I  know  what  sacrifice  you 
mean !  I  forbid  you !" 

But  the  other  whispers :  "Your  life  is  more  valu 
able  to  Dai  Nippon  than  mine.  Besides,  this  is  what 
I  swore  by  all  the  gods  to  do  when  I  left  Japan  with 
you,  should  Ema  make  it  necessary,  Prince  and 
Daimio  I"* 
*  Ema  is  the  Japanese  deity  of  Misfortune. — EDITOR, 


202  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"By  Izanagi,  I'll  not  take  your  sacrifice  I"  snarls 
the  Prince.  "I  command  you  not!"  His  muscles 
writhe  as  he  struggles  to  free  his  corded  wrists. 

But  the  false  Sendai,  holding  his  helpless  master's 
face  tight  between  his  hands,  forces  between  the  lips 
of  the  real  Sendai  some  high-smelling  aromatic  drug 
and  compels  him  to  swallow  it.  The  prisoner  strug 
gles  till  the  muscles  of  his  athletic  neck  stand  out  like 
whipcords — but  down  it  goes! 

Then  Kiguro  bowing  before  his  master,  says  apolo 
getically:  "Forgive  me,  Daimio,  it  was  my  only 
chance  to  make  you  accept  my  sacrifice.  There  is  no 
egress  from  the  house.  One  of  us  must  pass  to  the 
shades  and  it  is  I,  your  samurai/'' 

The  measured  tramp  of  the  patrol  and  sentries  out 
side  proclaims  the  truth  of  the  devoted  fellow's  words. 

"You  have  given  me  what  will  take  my  senses  from 
me  ?"  whispers  the  Prince,  a  kind  of  horror  rippling 
his  sad  features. 

"Yes,  in  a  minute  or  two,  most  honored  Daimio, 
you  will  be  in  dreamland.  From  it  you  will  awake 
with  chance  of  safety  from  your  foes,  but  I  will  be 
where  the  Jcami  place  me.  Your  glorious  talents  are 
more  valuable  to  Dai  Nippon  in  her  need  than  those 
of  a  poor  actor  who  loves  you — who  dies  for  you." 

Oh,  the  heroic  devotion  of  that  samurai  face ! 


MY.  JAPANESE  PRINCE  203 

Appalled,  I,  looking  upon  them,  say  nothing,  though 
I  am  sighing,  shivering  and  trembling.  The  drug 
must  be  some  weird  preparation  of  opium;  it  acts 
so  quickly.  Already  the  Prince  feels  it. 

"By  Ema,  my  parole !"  gasps  the  real  Sendai,  and 
strains  at  the  cords  that  bind  him  till  the  muscles  of 
his  arms  knot  themselves  and  twist  like  writhing 
snakes. 

But  the  false  Sendai  pressing  the  helpless  Prince's 
lips,  whispers:  "If  you  summon  your  enemies,  it 
means  both  your  death  and  mine,  honored  Master!" 

"By  the  God  of  Truth,  I  have  given  my  word !  My 
military  honor !"  falters  the  Prince,  his  breath  grow 
ing  more  labored.  "Besides,  you  expect  me  to  die!" 
The  pupils  of  his  contracting  eyes  turn  towards  me, 
though  I  can  scarce  catch  his  whispered  orders :  "Save 
your  husband  from  dishonor.  Wife,  call  the  guard ! 
Obey  me  V  His  low  moan  has  in  it  the  command  of 
an  Eastern  husband. 

And  yet  I  am  letting  him  live,  perchance  to  domi 
nate  my  life.  I  have  but  to  cry  out  to  the  sentries 
and  I  am  free  from  Sendai — a  widowed  princess — rich 
in  my  own  right!  Should  he  live  I  am  a  Japanese 
wife. 

But  I  hold  my  lips.  To  summon  the  Russians 
would  be  to  kill  two  brave  men  instead  of  one. 


204  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Suddenly  the  real  Sendai  looks  into  the  false  Sen- 
dai's  eyes  and  mutters  with  such  feeble  breath  I  can 
scarce  hear  him :  You  are  going  to  die  for  me,  my 
Ronin.  Sayonam,  bravest  of  the  brave,"  and  the 
daimio,  with  two  long  drawn  out  sighs,  as  if  strug 
gling  with  the  drug,  goes  to  sleep  upon  his  samurai's 
shoulder. 

As  the  true  Sendai's  head  droops — ah,  the  feudal 
devotion  that  is  in  Kiguro's  blazing  eyes! — just  for 
one  moment  the  actor  of  the  Kabukiza  Theatre  fondles 
the  Prince's  inert  form  as  a  dying  dog  licks  his  mas 
ter's  hand,  and  murmurs:  "Good-bye,  my  Daimio!" 
then  becomes  a  creature  of  vivid,  energetic  action. 
He  unbinds  the  real  Sendai  and  quickly  but  reverent 
ly  carries  him  to  my  big  closet  and  closes  the  door 
upon  him.  Standing  before  me,  he  says:  "Quick, 
assist  me  to  bind  myself  for  death !" 

But  seeing  that  my  agitation  makes  my  fingers 
nearly  inert,  he  with  wondrous  agility  puts  his  hands 
behind  his  back  and  contrives  to  twist  the  cords  about 
his  wrists;  then  commands:  "Tie  them;  tie  them, 
honored  Princess!  Tie  these  knots  if  you  would  be 
my  master's  bride,  otherwise  it  will  be  death  to  all  of 
us!" 

So  I  contrive,  with  trembling  fingers,  to  make  the 
knots  that  secure  the  martyr's  hands.  Then  he  sinks 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  205 

back  on  the  chair  and  says  in  easy  tone:  "Put  that 
cigar  between  my  teeth  and  I  am  Prince  Sendai,  hon 
ored  Princess.  Don't  fear,  I  shall  die  bravely  enough 
not  to  dishonor  my  fearless  master." 

I  do  his  asking.  As  he  sits  smoking  calmly  into 
my  face,  such  is  his  wondrous  disguise,  that,  did  I 
not  know  the  true  Sendai  were  in  yonder  closet,  I 
would  be  sure  my  husband  were  sitting  with  corded 
arms  before  me. 

Suddenly  he  whispers :  "When  Yaling  comes,  show 
him,"  and  nods  reverently  towards  the  closet  door  be 
hind  which  lies  the  swooning  form  of  his  master  and 
my  husband.  I  shudder  and  bow  my  head. 

"A  good  make-up?"  whispers  Kiguro,  the  actor's 
vanity  rising  in  him  even  as  he  chants  in  the  weird 
tones  of  the  theatre  his  samurai  death  song. 

"Yes,"  I  falter;  then  suddenly  suggest:  "But  you 
have  no  red  compass  on  your  arm." 

"Pull  up  my  sleeve  and  look !  See,  I  am  perfect  in 
my  role,  that  of  the  ghost  of  the  Sendai!"  he  whis 
pers,  and  chuckles :  "At  last  the  ghost  can  play  a  death 
scene."  My  blood  runs  cold  at  his  awful  jest, 

"And  now,"  for  there  is  a  movement  in  the  guard 
and  Petrofsky  has  given  a  warning  knock  upon  the 
door,  "now,  show  the  affection  of  a  wife  for  a  dying 


206  MY,  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

mate,"  he  whispers.    "It  is  all  you  can  do  for  Sendai's 
safety." 

Petrofsky  has  entered,  a  detail  of  men  at  his  back. 
The  Russian  officer  says  hoarsely  to  conceal  his  emo 
tion  :  "Your  time  has  come,  Prince  Sendai." 

The  smile  of  the  comedian  ripples  the  features  of 
the  false  Sendai,  as  they  lift  him  to  his  feet  to  take 
him  to  his  death. 

Then  I  try  to  do  my  wife's  part  and  place  my  burn 
ing  lips  upon  the  cold  forehead  of  the  bravest  man 
upon  this  earth.  The  dying  eyes  look  into  mine,  the 
dying  tongue  whispers  in  my  ear:  "Tell  him  I  love 
him." 

Then  walking  as  haughtily  as  ever  he  stepped  on 
the  flower  paths  of  the  Kabukiza  Theatre,  with  ap 
plauding  audience  about  him,  the  actor,  in  face,  de 
portment  and  bearing  the  image  of  Prince  Sendai, 
strides  between  his  guards  to  death. 

In  the  hall  an  additional  detail  of  men  await  the 
prisoner.  At  the  door  stands  Schevitch.  He  has 
heard  of  my  nuptials  and  gazes  at  his  supposed  rival, 
his  face  flushed  with  rage.  "You  didn't  have  your 
bride  very  long!"  he  laughs  maliciously  to  the  dy 
ing  man.  Then  some  innate  suspicion — I  know  not 
what — seems  to  flit  through  the  Russian's  acute  mind. 
The  lamps  in  the  hall  are  burning  brightly.  He 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  207 

glances  at  the  prisoner's  corded  wrist  and  seeing  the 
red  tattooed  compass  smiles  complacently. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  house,  the  full  provost-guard 
gather  about  the  condemned,  torches  in  their  hands. 
I  hear  Genke  give  a  hoarse  command,,  and  down  the 
path  they  go,  the  torches  gleaming,  followed  by  all 
the  troops  about  the  house.  They've  got  their  victim. 
There's  no  prisoner  within  my  walls  to  guard  now ! 

"Madame  la  Princesse" — I  start  at  the  title — "I  re 
turn  your  house  to  you  once  more."  Genke  is  speak 
ing  to  me.  "I  pray  God  never,  in  my  career,  to  en 
counter  such  a  cruel  duty  again.  I  bid  you  adieu. 
I  presume  you  will  never  wish  to  see  me  more — a 
woman,  by  the  inflexible  laws  of  war,  I  have 
widowed!"  The  gallant  Eussian  officer  bows  to  the 
ground  before  me. 

Widowed?  I  have  but  to  point  to  the  insensible 
form  behind  that  closet  door  and  I  am  widowed !  But 
if  I  let  Sendai  live,  I  am  his  Eastern  wife  to  do  his 
bidding.  I  know  Dad  will  tell  me  to  sleep  in  the 
bed  I  have  made."  But  I  only  answer  the  Colonel  by 
a  hysterical  laugh. 

Then  Genke  departs  from  me,  and  I  see  his  erect 
military  figure  moving  down  the  path  following  his 
troops,  whose  torches  are  already  clustering  about  the 
bridge. 


208  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

All  my  Chinese  servants  have  run  out  into  the 
grounds  to  look  upon  the  execution.  Schevitch  and 
Sophie  have  gone  partly  down  the  garden,  conversing 
earnestly  together  in  frightened  tones.  In  a  far  away 
chamber,  Jack's  bride  is  half  swooning  in  his  arms 
at  the  awful  military  catastrophe  that  has  saddened 
their  wedding  eve.  I  am  alone  in  my  house,  half 
crazy,  half  swooning. 

As  the  clock  strikes  twelve,  there  is  a  pistol  shot 
down  by  the  bridge.  I  start,  tremble  and  cry.  It  is 
the  signal,  and  I  know  that  as  brave  a  soul  as  ever 
breathed  has  given  up  his  life  in  that  strange  feudal 
samurai  devotion. 

Shall  his  sacrifice  be  for  naught  ?    No ! 

From  the  back  of  the  house  nearest  the  hills  there 
glides  through  my  vacant  rooms  Yaling,  followed  by 
six  or  seven  brawny,  well-armed  Mongolians  that  I 
guess  are  the  wild  Hun-hu-tzes  who  war  upon  the 
Russians. 

"Have  no  fear,  Missie  Melican,"  whispers  the  old 
Chinese  magistrate.  Then  he  asks  me  sharply: 
"Where  you  put  him  ?  One  thousand  taels,  get  him 
away." 

I  point  to  the  closet! 

As  they  pick  up  the  swooning  form  of  Sendai,  I 
say  hurriedly :  "Yaling,  when  he  gets  his  senses,  don't 


MY  JAPANESE'  PRINCE  209 

fail  to  tell  him  that  he  was  not  removed  from  this 
chamber  till  his  parole  had  expired — after  twelve 
o'clock.  You  sabe — after  twelve  o'clock!"  For  I 
have  some  wild  fears  that  my  husband  may  think 
himself  bound  by  his  word  to  his  Russian  captors. 

As  the  athletic  Chinese  carry  Sendai's  form  out 
into  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  take  a  pathway 
leading  to  the  hills,  I  gaze  after  them  and  jeer  my 
self  :  "My  husband  V9 

Then  to  me  comes  Schevitch,  who  apparently  won't 
take  no  for  an  answer.  He  observes,  almost  brutally : 
"Now,  Madame,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  your 
listening  to  my  suit." 

"What,  I,  a  Japanese  Princess,  wed  a  humble  Rus 
sian  Baron  ?"  I  sneer  hysterically,  but  haughtily. 

"There  is  naught  to  prevent  it  now  that  you  are 
widowed  P  he  suggests  in  his  usual  suave  tones. 

Widowed!  Am  I  widowed?  Will  Sendai  es 
cape?  I  give  a  wild,  half  crazy  cry.  Jack  Bristow 
and  Olga  are  bending  over  me,  the  American  shudder 
ing:  "This  has  been  too  much  for  the  poor  girl! 
Wedded  and  widowed  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour !" 

"My  God,  how  she  loved  him !"  sobs  dear  Olga,  as 
she  tries  to  soothe  me. 

"My  God,  how  he  loved  me!"  I  scream.     "A  Jap- 


210  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

anese  bride!  And  he  promised  to  die  in  fifteen 
minutes !" 

They  all  gaze  at  me  as  if  I  were  demented ! 

Then  something  seems  to  break  in  my  head  and 
that's  the  last  I  know. 


EPISODE  THE  FOURTH. 

A    -WIDOW'S    HONEYMOON. 

CHAPTER.  IX. 

A  BRIDE,  OR  NOT  A  BRIDE? 

They  have  put  me  in  black ! 

But  I  hardly  appreciated  my  widow's  weeds  till  I 
reached  Niuchwang,  where  Dad  took  me  as  soon  as  I 
was  able  to  travel. 

Papa's  awfully  incensed  at  me.  He  had  a  frightful 
time  with  the  Russian  authorities  on  my  account. 
In  some  way  they  discovered  that  I  had  held  com 
munication  with  Sendai  as  he  worked  in  the  trench 
to  mine  the  railroad  bridge.  Over  this,  the  Musco 
vites  made  a  terrible  hubbub. 

Schevitch  is  in  disgrace  also,  for  not  telling  Genke 
everything,  even  if  it  did  get  me  strung  up.  But 
the  Baron  will  soon  be  reinstated  in  the  Viceroy's 
favor.  He  is  too  astute  and  cunning  to  remain  in  a 
hole  very  long,  and  is,  I  imagine,  very  useful  to  Alex- 
211 


212         MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

eieff  in  smaller  private  matters.  Trust  the  Baron  to 
turn  up  smiling! 

But,  wheugh!  Poor  Sophie  was  the  unfortunate 
one !  Women  generally  catch  it  in  the  East ;  men  in 
the  West.  I  imagine,  however,,  that  the  Baron  was 
her  undoing.  He  had  become  tired  of  Madame 
Klinkofstrom's  jealousy  and  engineered  her  little 
journey  to  Siberia.  However,  nowadays  pretty  wo 
men  are  always  considerately  treated,  even  in  Siberian 
dungeons.  Dad  says  a  number  of  years  ago  he  saw 
the  governor  of  Saghalien  driving  about  Vladivostok 
with  his  prettiest  female  prisoner.  Technically,  she 
was  in  close  confinement,  but  she  had  the  best  rooms 
in  the  Vladivostok  Hotel,  wore  good-sized  diamonds, 
presumably  the  gift  of  her  jailor,  and  couldn't  have 
been  driven  from  her  dungeon  by  a  file  of  soldiers. 

The  dungeon  suggests  my  affair.  There  was  some 
talk,  in  Eussian  official  circles  of  imprisoning  me. 
The  Russians  had  become  so  enraged  at  their  victori 
ous  enemies  that  they  were  not  disposed  to  be  as  con 
siderate  to  a  Japanese  widow  as  they  had  been  to  an 
Americansky  girl.  However,  Dad  bluffed  them  out, 
threatening  them  with  Secretary  Hay  and  all  kinds 
of  horrible  things !  So  they  finally  forced  upon  him 
rny  passports  and  told  him  to  get  me  out  of  the  coun- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  213 

try  as  soon  as  he  possibly  could — which  he  is  now  do 
ing. 

I  have  not  dared  to  tell  Papa  that  I  don't  know 
whether  I  am  wife  or  widow.  He  has  the  letter  that 
poor  Sendai  wrote  to  the  aged  Prince  and  Princess. 
He  has  in  his  pocketbook  a  signed  statement  from  the 
Russian  officers  who  witnessed  the  ceremony,  and  the 
certificate  of  my  marriage  from  the  Russian  priest 
who  performed  it.  I  know  from  Father's  business 
like  manner  that  he  is  going  to  make  a  big  claim  on 
the  Sendai  estates  in  behalf  of  Sendai's  young  widow. 
These  proofs  that  I  am  Sendai's  widow  impress  me 
with  the  fact  that  I  am  Sendai's  wife,  if  lie  is  alive. 

I  wonder  if  he  did  escape  with  Yaling  and  his  Hun- 
hu-tzes.  No  man  when  he  recovered  his  senses  would 
be  better  equipped  to  slide  out  of  the  country  as  a 
plain,  honest  Chinese  coolie  than  my  lord  and  master. 

Lord  and  master!  I  tremble  at  these  words.  If 
the  Prince  is  living  I  am  a  Japanese  wife.  His  last 
words  before  insensibility  struck  him  were  commands 
that  I  did  not  obey,  and  I  know,  if  Sendai  turns  up, 
Dad  will  hand  me  over  with  his  compliments  to  my 
husband  and  say:  "Take  care  of  her  now.  The  re 
sponsibility  is  too  great  for  yours  truly." 

From  the  sprightly  nature  of  my  reflections  I  con 
clude  that  I  am  regaining  my  spirits.  Anyway,  I  am 


214  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

determined  to  dress  in  bright  colors  as  soon  as  we 
leave  Russian  territory,  unless  black  is  more  becom 
ing.  San  Shoo  says  my  widow's  weeds  "Suitee  'Meli- 
can  missie  down  to  the  glound."  Besides,  men  are  so 
much  more  attentive  to  young  rich  widows  than  they 
are  even  to  opulent  buds.  Papas  sometimes  hold  close 
purse-strings. 

At  Kiuchwang  we  overtake  Johnny  Bristow  and 
his  bride.  They  have  been  trying  to  make  a  honey 
moon  here,  but  the  town  is  so  much  excited  by  ru 
mors  of  attack  from  the  Japanese  and  the  movements 
of  Russian  troops  that  Jack  says  he  needs  a  quieter 
place  for  conjugal  retirement. 

However,  Olga  declares  she  would  be  happy  with 
him  anywhere.  Her  successful  marriage  makes  the 
dear  girl  very  sympathetic  with  my  widowhood. 
"Poor  thing,"  she  whispers  to  me,  "how  you  must 
suffer  when  you  think  that  you  will  never  see 
your  husband  again,  the  one  you  loved  so  devotedly." 
"The  one  who  loved  me  so  devotedly!"  I  reply 
rather  testily.  I  get  angry  with  people  thinking  that 
the  love  is  on  my  side,  not  on  Sendai's.  They  all  talk 
of  his  heroic  disregard  of  his  life,  coming  into  the 
midst  of  his  enemies  to  destroy  that  bridge.  If  he 
did,  it  was  but  a  secondary  consideration  in  his  mind. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  215 

Even  Papa  growls :  "Sendai  had  no  business  coming 
near  our  bungalow  to  put  such,  peril  on  you." 

But  I  say:  "As  we  were  not  at  our  country  place, 
the  Prince  concluded  he  could  put  no  danger  on  us. 
But  arriving  at  our  bungalow  and  not  finding  me 
there,  in  his  desperation  to  kill  time  he  went  to  work 
on  the  Eussian  bridge — that's  all !  His  only  thought 
after  he  was  seized  was  marrying  me  and  giving  me 
his  name.  In  the  shadow  of  death  it  was  my  safety — 
not  his.  My  husband  is  the  noblest  man  alive." 

"Alive!"  cries  Father.  "You're  crazy!  I  saw  his 
body  hanging  up  to  the  railway  bridge  as  we  left ;  not 
a  pleasant  sight,  either." 

I  shudder  and  the  tears  fly  into  my  eyes  as  I  think 
of  the  noble  martyr  who  took  my  husband's  place. 

Noting  this,  Dad  mutters  contritely :  "Forgive  me, 
my  poor  child;  I  see  you're  grieving  for  Sendai  now. 
The  Prince  was  a  hummer  as  a  mathematician  any 
way,  and  the  ramjammest  engineer  that  ever  designed 
a  structure." 

Father  always  looks  at  the  practical  side  of  every 
thing.  He  is  very  savage  because  the  Russians  used 
their  hold  upon  him  through  me  to  shave  the  pay 
ments  on  some  of  their  railroad  contracts.  However, 
he'll  see  Secretary  Hay  about  that. 

But  all  that  agitates  my  buzzing  brain  is  what  my 


216  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

fate  will  be  if  Senclai  is  living— a  Japanese  wife,  shut 
up  in  semi-regal  state  in  a  Daimio  castle,  perhaps. 
When  I  think  of  this  I  wonder  why  I  did  not  hold  my 
husband  to  his  promise  to  die  in  fifteen  minutes  and 
open  my  mouth  and  let  his  Russian  guards  know 
they  were  hanging  the  wrong  man.  Anyway,  there's 
no  chance  of  meeting  Prince  Sendai  in  Niuchwang, 
with  the  Russian  troops  all  about  me. 

But  Papa  has  promised  the  Czar's  officials  to  get 
me  out  of  the  country  as  quickly  as  possible.     So  we 

—that  is,  Jack  Bristow,  his  wife,  Dad  and  I are  all 

going  to  take  the  railroad  round  by  Kin-chow  and 
Chin-wang-tao  to  Tien-Tsin.  These  Chinese  names 
give  me  a  headache.  From  there  we  shall  journey  by 
steamer  to  Japan,  where  Dad  will  make  the  claim 
of  the  widowed  Princess  in  proper  form.  He  tells 
me  that  he  has  already  obtained  the  address  of  the 
best  legal  Jap  firm  in  Tokyo. 

This  immediate  business  treatment  of  a  matter 
that  lies  heavy  on  my  heart  angers  me.  To  him  I 
say,  indignantly:  "This  letter,  Papa,  that  you  carry 
will  bring  me  everything  that  is  my  due.  The  dying 
man  thought  of  me  in  his  last  moments."  The  "dy 
ing  man"  chokes  me ;  I  emit  a  miserable  giggle. 

Dad  looks  at  me  curiously,  and  asks  savagely: 
"What  are  you  snickering  about?  You  were  high- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  217 

falutin  enough  before  this  fracas,  but  since  you've 
been  a  wife  for  fifteen  minutes,  hang  me  if  you  ain't 
daffy,  girl  I" 

Sometimes  I  cannot  repress  a  smile  when  they 
talk  of  Sendai's  being  dead—if  he  is  alive,  it  seems 
such  a  huge  joke  on  me. 

I  don't  think  I  will  put  off  mourning,  certainly 
not  till  I  see  Sendai ;  Russian  sables  are  very  effective 
with  black.  Therefore,  I  keep  my  secret  to  myself 
as  we  run  along  the  railroad  and  get  into  China 
proper.  Away  from  Russian  rule  I  take  the  padlock 
off  my  tongue;  it  is  such  a  pleasure  not  to  have  to 
think  before  you  speak  on  politics. 

"Oh,  ain't  I  glad,"  I  whisper  to  our  party  in  the 
railroad  car,  "that  I  can  now  utter  my  views  of  those 
tyrants,  without  you,  Dad,  shaking  your  head  at  me, 
and  putting  your  finger  on  my  lips.  Wait  till  our 
army  gets  to  Manchuria !" 

"Why,  the  Russians  treated  you  very  well,"  re 
marks  my  father,  "perhaps  better  than  you  deserved." 

"What !  because  they  didn't  hang  me  on  account  of 
the  adoration  of  my  Japanese  Prince  ?  Why  should  I 
keep  my  tongue  still?  Haven't  I  a  right  to  speak 
when  I'm  the  wife  of  a  Japanese  officer  ?" 

At  my  suggestion  of  wifehood  Papa  clashes  a  tear 
from  his  eye  and  looks  sorrowfully  out  of  the  window. 


218  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

and  Jack  gazing  at  Olga  taps  his  forehead  suggestive 
of  wheels  in  my  brain ;  while  his  bride  gives  me  a  pa 
thetic  kiss.  I'd  like  to  tell  them,  but  I'd  better  not 
till  I'm  sure  Sendai  has  escaped. 

Finally,  we  reach  a  little  warmer  weather  at  Tien- 
Tsin.  There  we  take  an  English  steamboat  to  Che- 
foo.  Here  possibly  Sendai  may  have  arrived.  Under 
the  British  flag  he  is  perfectly  safe. 

But  though  I  keep  my  eyes  open  about  the  Foreign 
quarter  and  hotels,  I  see  him  not. 

About  this  time  I  commence  to  thoroughly  ap 
preciate  what  a  very  great  lady  I  have  become.  The 
Princess  Sendai — why,  it's  almost  next  to  royalty! 
There  are  less  than  a  dozen  princes  in  all  Japan,  and 
he's  one  of  the  very  biggest  of  them,  connected  with 
the  old  Slioguns,  the  former  military  dictators  of 
the  empire. 

"The  Princess  Sendai!"  I  hear  the  English  mer 
chants  say,  as  I  pass;  "Yes,  the  one  dressed  in  deep 
mourning,  the  widowed  Princess  of  Sendai." 

Before  I  had  only  been  called  "That  Armstrong 
girl." 

Then  my  romantically  cruel  story  being  buzzed 
about,  my  heart  beats  triumphantly  as  at  last  the 
world  believes  that  Sendai  loved  me,  for  the  report  is 
that  in  his  last  moments  all  he  asked  of  his  Russian. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  219 

captors  was  a  quarter  of  an  hour  to  wed  the  woman 
he  adored. 

"By  Jove,,  she  was  worth  it!"  I  catch  in  the  bluff 
voice  of  Billy  Cranston  of  the  Shanghai  Bank.  "She'll 
be  the  handsomest  widow  in  Japan."  I  giggle  as  I 
hear  Papa  say  in  muffled  accents  to  his  commercial 
friends :  "My  poor  son-in-law,  the  late  Prince  Sen- 
dai." 

Then  a  new  complication  comes  in  my  mind.  If  I 
discard  Sendai,  they'll  perhaps  think  he  didn't  love 
me !  No,  no,  if  the  Prince  is  alive,  I'm  in  for  it. 
Besides,  I  don't  mind  much.  No  more  aristocratic 
features  or  soul-stirring  eyes  ever  looked  upon  a  bride 
than  those  of  my  dying  husband  as  they  dazed  upon 
me,  and  no  braver  man,  save,  perhaps,  he  who  took  his 
place,  ever  made  love  to  a  woman.  Did  he  make  love 
to  me  ?  Japanese  never  caress  in  our  American  way. 
Of  course,  he  never  kissed  me.  How  do  the  Japanese 
make  love  ?  If  Sendai  is  alive,  I  presume  I  shall  dis 
cover  some  day. 

We  have  taken  a  British  steamer  for  Nagasaki,  but 
our  skipper,  whose  big  deck  cabins  Papa  and  I  have 
engaged  for  the  voyage,  knowing  the  Russians  are 
bottled  up  in  Port  Arthur,  says  en  route  he  is  going 
to  drop  into  Chemulpo,  now  practically  a  Japanese 
port, 


220  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Leaving  Che-foo  early  in  the  day,  we  plough  across 
the  Yellow  Sea.  That  evening  as  Papa  and  I  pace 
the  steamer's  deck,  I  try  to  tell  him  that  I  am  possibly 
not  a  widow,  but  remembering  his  remarks  about 
American  women  marrying  American  men,  I  don't 
have  the  courage  to  suggest  to  him  he  may  have  a 
living  Jap  for  a  son-in-law. 

The  next  morning  bright  and  early  we  are  in  Che 
mulpo.  Dressed  in  deepest  mourning,  with  my  hand 
some  Russian  sables  all  about  me,  I  gaze  from  the 
deck  and  see  the  hull  of  the  destroyed  Variag,  its 
guns  pointing  in  the  air  and  a  wrecking  crew  on 
board  of  it. 

The  harbor  is  full  of  Japanese  transports,  landing, 
by  means  of  sampans  towed  by  steam  launches,  some 
regiments  of  dogged,  wiry  Osaka  infantry.  They  have 
already  built  temporary  wharves,  and  by  means  of  big 
lighters  are  transporting  to  the  shore  some  field  bat 
teries  and  heavy  artillery.  The  Eising  Sun  flag  is 
flying  over  a  town  busy  as  a  beehive  in  methodical, 
Japanese,  energetic  way.  Three  or  four  of  Uriu's 
cruisers  are  in  the  harbor,  and  one  or  two  dispatch 
and  torpedo  boats  are  patrolling  the  ofling. 

Standing  behind  me  is  Ah  Tow,  who  whispers : 
"Missie,  tell  you  'bout  Russian  Variag  vessel  being 
sunk;  you  sabe,  up  Polandien  way?" 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  221 

"Yes,"  I  answer  with  a  shudder,  as  I  remember 
the  events  of  the  awful  evening  at  my  cottage  by  the 
bridge. 

My  agitation  is  such  that  even  the  Chinaman  sym 
pathizes  with  me.  Looking  at  my  mourning,  he  mut 
ters:  "Poor  little  widdie  woman,  bleak  'em  heart;" 
but  adds,  reassuringly :  "  'Melican  husband  klum  by 
an'  bye  I" 

"Shut  your  infernal  Chinese  mouth!"  says  Dad, 
savagely,  to  his  factotum,  for  "  'Melican  husband" 
has  put  a  very  wild  look  into  my  eyes. 

A  lot  of  sampans,  shore  boats,  steam  launches  and 
all  that  kind  of  thing  cluster  beside  us  as  we  drop  an 
chor  and  put  over  our  side  ladder. 

Upon  this  scene  I  gaze,  an  eager  flush  upon  my 
face.  Here  I  should  have  tidings  of  Sendai — if  he 
has  escaped.  But  no  approaching  barque  carries  the 
form  for  which  I  strain  my  eyes. 

Throughout  the  day  I  gaze  over  the  harbor;  no 
Sendai  makes  his  appearance. 

I  inspect  all  shore  boats  connected  with  the  Japan 
ese  Army  with  such  alert  anxiety  that  Dad,  mistaking 
my  vivacity,  whispers  to  me  rather  severely:  "One 
would  think,  daughter,  that  your  recent  experience 
would  make  you  at  least  decently  solemn  when  con 
fronted  with  Japanese  uniforms.  True,  you  didn't 


222  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

love  the  gentleman  who  gave  to  you  his  name  and 
title  to  prevent  any  scandal  that  might  have  been 
caused  by  his  extraordinary  visit  to  your  bungalow." 
Then  I  hear  Papa  sigh  over  the  Prince's  memory,  not 
on  account  of  his  title,  I  think,  but  on  account  of  his 
engineering  ability.  "Sendai  was  a  remarkable 
man/'  he  mutters,  "and  the  finest  mathematical  cuss 
I  ever  encountered.  Besides,  as  his  widow  you  will 
doubtless  get  some  very  pretty  estates  in  Japan." 

"I  am  not  thinking  of  those,  Father,"  I  say,  "and 
I'm  serious  enough  about  the  whole  business,  though 
I  am  nervous  and  excited." 

I  don't  care  to  tell  Papa  of  my  reasons  for  investi 
gating  every  off-coming  boat  from  Chemulpo.  If 
Sendai  does  put  in  an  appearance,  it  will  be  time 
enough.  Besides,  I  doubt  whether  Father  would  be 
lieve  on  my  mere  word  the  extraordinary  story  of  the 
actor's  wondrous  make-up  to  represent  the  man 
about  to  die  and  his  devoted  substitution  for  his 
Daimio.  As  I  related  the  tale,  I  expect  Papa  would 
gasp  that  I  was  crazy,  especially  as  he  believes  that 
he  saw  Sendai's  dead  body  hanging  from  that  miser 
able  Russian  bridge  he  lost  his  life  trying  to  blow  up. 

Once  or  twice,  however,  I  reflect  that  nothing  has 
been  heard  of  my  husband  and  fear  the  great  self- 
sacrifice  of  the  devoted  Kiguro  has  been  for  naught 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  223 

and  the  gallant  Prince  may  be  dead — betrayed  perhaps 
by  the  Chinese  to  save  their  own  miserable  bodies,, 
if  in  danger  of  capture  by  the  Eussian  patrol  parties, 
or  mounted  Cossacks  who  scour  all  Manchuria. 

I  would  go  on  shore  to  inquire  for  news  of  Sendai, 
but  Dad  does  not  think  it  wise  for  me  to  visit  this 
town  full  of  an  army  in  process  of  movement  on  the 
enemy.  I  would  even  send  a  telegram  to  Seoul,  but 
that  would  compel  embarrassing  explanations;  so  I 
keep  my  vigil  by  the  ship's  rail,  fibbing  to  Papa  and 
saying  that  the  activity  in  the  harbor  makes  it  so 
picturesquely  exciting  that  I  prefer  the  water-view  to 
tiffin. 

Soon  after,  Dad,  hearing  that  the  Japanese  intend 
to  push  their  Korean  railroad,  jumps  into  a  steam 
launch  and  goes  on  shore  to  see  the  military  authori 
ties  as  to  bridge  contracts.  Therefore  I  recline  in  a 
steamer  chair,  surrounded  by  a  group  of  gentlemen 
passengers,  not  far  from  the  gangway,  and  accept 
some  sandwiches  that  the  faithful  San  Shoo  brings 
her  "missie,"  though  in  truth  I  have  but  little  ap 
petite.  Even  Sammy  Debrow — one  of  the  managers 
of  the  American  Trading  Company  at  Yokohama, 
who  is  returning  to  that  place  from  a  business  visit 
to  Chefoo  and  who  seems  to  have  taken  a  particular 
fancy  to  my  widow's  weeds — cannot  raise  my  spirits, 


224  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

notwithstanding  he  insists  upon  having  a  bottle  of 
champagne  opened  to  "brisk  me  up  a  little,"  as  he 
remarks.  But  though  Sammy  would  be  very  sociable 
— perhaps  more  than  sociable  if  I  would  permit  him 
— and  is  a  remarkably  handsome  fellow  and  doesn't 
like  Colonel  Ponsomby,  the  blondly  grizzled  British 
attache  at  the  Pekin  Legation  who  is  on  board,  going 
over  to  Tokyo  on  some  diplomatic  affair  and  who 
has  made  himself  an  attendant  upon  Madame  la  Prin- 
cesse,  I  languidly  refuse  Sammy's  champagne  and 
gaze  eagerly  over  the  water  with  my  marine  glass; 
for  a  shore  boat  is  coming  up  to  our  side  ladder. 

On  its  arrival,  it  produces  nothing  but  Colonel 
Ponsomby,  who  has  been  in  Chemulpo  and  strides 
eagerly  to  me  to  give  me  the  news  of  the  town. 

Ponsomby,  in  answer  to  my  earnest  though  veiled 
inquiries  as  to  news,  says  in  his  British  manner: 
"There  is  nothing,  my  dear  Princess,  except  that  the 
Japs  are  in  full  possession  of  Seoul,  the  Korean  capi 
tal,  and  apparently  by  the  number  of  regiments 
they  are  putting  on  shore,  intend  to  hold  it  despite 
the  Kussians." 

"No  other  small  details  ?"  I  ask  anxiously. 

"Why  no,  nothing  particular,  though,  by  the  bye, 
I  suppose,  Princess,  you  are  always  interested  in  the 
exploits  of  Japanese  heroes."  Glancing  at  my  weeds, 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 


the  Colonel  assumes  a  sympathetic  tone.  "There  is 
a  report  that  another  Japanese  bridge  destroyer,  some 
gallant  fellow  in  the  Engineers,  has  escaped  from 
Manchuria  and  arrived  after  untold  hardships  within 
the  Japanese  lines.  But  —  but  pardon  me,"  he  stam 
mers,  "Madame  la  Princesse,  I—  I  had  forgotten— 

For  a  sudden  inspiration  tells  me  it  is  Sendai,  my 
husband  —  alive  !  I  have  been  standing  by  my  steamer 
chair.  As  I  reflect  :  "What  does  this  mean  for  me  V9 
into  it  I  nearly  collapse. 

Then  I  discover  what  a  grande  dame  I  have  become. 
Even  the  Captain  springs  from  the  bridge  to  my  as 
sistance  ;  half  of  the  male  passengers  rush  to  my  aid, 
and  a  contingent  of  the  ship's  stewards  fly  from  the 
cabin  with  ice  water,  brandy,  fans  and  other  restora 
tives.  At  the  best  moments  of  my  former  life  "that 
Armstrong  girl"  could  have  fainted  half  a  dozen 
times  without  producing  a  moiety  of  the  commotion 
that  Madame  la  Princesse  Sendai's  nervous  attack 
calls  forth. 

As  I  recline  in  the  steamer  chair  in  a  dazed  way,  I 
hear  the  skipper  remonstrating  with  the  English 
Colonel:  "Ponsomby,  have  you  forgotten  that  Her 
Highness  has  lately  lost  a  gallant  husband  under 
similar  circumstances,  and  the  sweet  young  lady  has 
not  yet  recovered  from  the  atrocious  blow?" 


226  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Her  Highness"  sounds  very  nicely  to  my  ears,  as 
they  fan  me. 

Suddenly,  to  the  astonishment  of  them  all,  as  they 
proffer  me  ice  water  and  brandy  and  the  Colonel  offers 
his  arm  to  assist  me  to  my  stateroom,  I  become  almost 
my  old  vivacious  self.  An  extraordinary  excitement 
thrills  my  nerve  centers;  a  strange  hope  elates  me. 
Why  is  the  blood,  running  through  my  veins  ?  Why 
is  my  heart  beating  so  wildly  that  my  face  is  covered 
with  wave  after  wave  of  blushes?  In  my  maiden  state 
I  had  never  loved  Sendai.  Is  'it  because  that  Sendai's 
wife— No,  no,  that  cannot  be !  And  yet,  good  Heavens, 
if  he  is  alive ! 

The  thought  that  I  have  a  living  husband  makes 
my  manner  quite  distant  to  my  English  escort,  who 
is  assisting  me  to  my  cabin  and  whispering  words  of 
exceedingly  tender  sympathy.  To  the  Colonel's  eager 
inquiries  as  to  how  I  feel,  I  astonish  him  by  remark 
ing:  "So  much  better  I  can  walk  even  without  the 
support  of  your  arm.  Though,  thank  you  very  much 
for  your  kindness.  After  a  little  I  shall  be  entirely 
recovered  and  will  venture  upon  deck  again." 

Noting  something  curious  in  my  eyes,  Ponsomby 
thinks  it  is  for  him,  and,  standing  at  the  door  of  my 
big  deck  stateroom,  says,  taking  off  his  hat :  "I  shall 
await  your  return,  Princess,  with'  the  greatest  eager- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  227 

ness.  The  lights  of  the — awh — harbor  will  be  very 
beautiful  this  evening  as  we  leave  it,  and  I  believe 
there  will  be  also  enough  moonlight  for — awh — prac 
tical  purposes." 

As  I  close  the  door  of  my  cabin,  I  know  the  Colonel 
has  an  idea  that  I  shall  enjoy  the  moonlight  with  him  ! 

As  soon  as  I  am  alone  the  contemplation  of  my 
situation  nearly  makes  me  faint  again.  Sendai  per 
haps  alive!  I  grow  so  nervous  over  the  matter  that 
I  have  to  lie  down  upon  the  sofa.  San  Shoo  comes 
in  to  me  and  applies  restoratives.  After  a  time  I  con 
quer  my  nerves  and  become  a  being  of  action.  I  must 
immediately  discover  who  the  escaped  officer  is. 
Dad  has  gone  on  shore.  He  will  return,  perhaps,  with 
further  news  of  the  occurrence. 

But  my  nervous  collapse  in  my  stateroom  has  stolen 
a  couple  of  precious  hours  from  me.  When  I  return  to 
the  deck  I  find  Papa  awaiting  me,  but  darkness  is 
coming  on  and  the  vessel  under  way. 

To  my  very  guarded  questions,  in  which  I  seek  to 
extract  any  shore  news  he  may  have  picked  up,  my 
father  merely  remarks:  "I  think  I  have  nailed  the 
Japanese  commander-in-chief  at  Seoul  by  telegraph 
for  a  contract.  They  are  going  to  build  a  railway 
right  up  to  the  Yalu  Kiver." 
^.  "JN"o  other  things?"  I  question.  "Nothing  about 


228  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

any  engineer  officers  escaping  from  Russian  lines  ?" 

"Why,  yes,  I  heard  in  the  quartermaster's  office 
ashore  that  there  was  a  fellow  disguised  as  a  coolie, 
I  believe,  who  came  from  Elliott  Island  in  a  junk,  hut 
heroism  is  so  common  in  the  Japanese  Army  that  I 
only  picked  up  a  passing  remark  about  it.  The  reck 
less  chap  was  not  successful,  I  believe,  in  blowing  up 
the  bridge  he  had  selected,  and  only  escaped  by  the 
very  hair  of  his  head,  aided  by  Chinese  sympathizers." 

This  tallies  with  the  story  that  would  come  with 
Sendai,  and  puts  wild  excitement  within  me. 

"Didn't  any  Japanese  officers  take  passage  from 
Chemulpo?"  I  ask,  eagerly. 

"N"one  that  I  saw,  though  there  was  a  boat  at  the 
side  ladder  a  minute  or  two  before  we  came  up. 
Perhaps  it  contained  some  of  our  returning  passen 
gers;  a  whole  bunch  of  'em  went  on  shore  in  Che 
mulpo.  But  my  daughter  looks  in  better  spirits  than 
when  I  left,"  Papa  says  cheerfully.  "That's  the  talk, 
my  girl,  forget  the  past.  Put  it  behind  you.  Think 
only  of  the  future.  That's  the  common-sense  way 
for  even  young  widows.  The  whole  affair  didn't 
amount  to  anything,  anyway,  except  to  give  you  a 
name  and  a  title.  For  God's  sake,  forget  all  about 
it,  Hilda !"  he  commands,  for  tears  have  risen  to  my 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  229 

eyes.    Why  I  cry  I  don't  know.    As  a  girl  I  had  very 
good  nerves. 

"You  are  quite  right,  Dad,"  I  falter;  "I'm  glad  the 
vessel  is  passing  out  of  the  harbor— I'll  think  no  more 
about  it."  Father  lights  a  cigar  and  goes  into  his 
cabin,  probably  to  .figure  on  railroad  material  for 
Korea. 

Two  minutes  after  I  have  got  hold  of  the  fourth 
officer,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  gangway  most  of  the 
time  we  were  at  anchor,  and  am  asking  him:  "Did 
any.  Japanese  officers  come  on  board  in  Chemulpo  ?" 
"Why,  yes,  two  or  three,  Your— Your  Highness," 
stammers  the  young  sea-dog.  He  isn't  accustomed  to 
addressing  princesses.  "A  couple  of  artillery  chaps 
and  a  companion  dressed  in  mufti.  He  must  be  a 
civilian.  Jap  officers  always  wear  their  uniforms." 

"Yes,  but  he  mightn't  have  had  any  uniform  to 
wear/'  I  suggest;  then  astound  the  British  sea-dog 
by  asking:  "Did  they  make  any  inquiries  about— 
about  me?" 

"Why,  no,"  he  says.  "All  they  were  concerned  about 
was  that  they  couldn't  get  any  berths  in  the  cabin  and 
were  compelled  to  take  the  best  accommodation  they 
could  procure  forward.  You  know  we  are  crowded 
to  the  gunwale.  They'll  eat  in  the  cabin,  I  presume. 
They  didn't  make  much  of  a  kick ;  those  fellows  are 


230  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

contented  with  a  hard  plank  if  it'll  help  'em  beat  the 
Russies." 

Dinner  has  been  off  the  table  half  an  hour.  There 
will  be  little  chance  of  seeing  these  Japanese  in  the 
cabin.  They  may  be  enjoying  a  cigar  forward.  The 
night  is  fine.  The  fourth  officer  is  off  duty.  As  the 
vessel  is  in  motion  and  pitching  slightly  as  she  meets 
the  waves  of  the  Yellow  Sea,  I  ask  for  the  assistance 
of  his  arm  during  a  turn  on  deck.  That  stalwart 
young  Briton  accords  it  to  me. 

When  we  have  gone  as  far  forward  as  cabin  passen 
gers  usually  go,  I.  suggest  that  I  am  tired  and  would 
like  to  sit  down.  The  mate  brings  deferentially  a 
steamer  chair,  makes  me  comfortable,  and  goes  off 
to  other  duties. 

I  have  had  my  seat  deftly  placed  between  two  ven 
tilating  funnels  and  am  protected  from  ordinary  ob 
servation  by  an  extra  big  wind-sail  that  is  employed 
to  carry  air  into  the  lower  berths  of  the  steerage. 
Here  perchance  I  may  see  the  Japanese  officers  pacing 
the  forward  deck  and  enjoying  their  cigars.  If  I 
do,  I  shall  contrive  to  question  them  about  their  es 
caping  comrade,  and  learn  if  they  know  his  name. 
The  evening  is  quite  dark,  though  the  moon  will  be 
up  soon.  After  a  few  minutes  I  note  dimly  among 
the  crowd  on  deck  two  figures  in  the  military  uniform 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  231 

of  Japan  smoking  cheroots  and  chatting  pleasantly 
together. 

As  they  approach  me  I  rack  my  mind  for  some  pre 
text  to  call  their  attention  to  me  so  that  I  may  ques 
tion  them.  Suddenly  my  heart  gives  a  great  bound 
and  then  almost  ceases  to  beat.  A  footfall  that  seems 
familiar  is  behind  the  wind-sail;  another  voice  is 
speaking  to  them  in  English.  The  voice  I  recognize. 
It  is  that  of  my  husband,  thank  God — I  am  so  happy 
that  I  can  say  it — thank  God,  alive! 

I  am  about  to  spring  up  and  run  to  him  and  pro 
claim  myself  when  his  words  stay  me  and  rivet  me 
to  the  spot.  "Speak  English,  esteemed  Kanecko," 
he  remarks,  "so  that  none  of  this  coolie  crowd  can  un 
derstand.  Have  you  quietly  ascertained  if  the  report 
is  true  that  my  wife  is  on  board?" 

"She  is,  honored  Prince/'  answers  the  addressed 
Japanese  officer  in  very  good  English. 

And  the  third  rather  laughs :  "A  lucky  coincidence 
for  you,  most  worthy  Okashi.  Instead  of  a  hammock 
in  the  steerage,  you  will  now  have  a  state  cabin.  The 
Princess  Sendai  has  the  finest  on  the  ship.  You  are 
in  luxury,  Your  Highness,  after  living  on  nothing  but 
bean-cake  for  a  month.  Besides,  what  a  joyful  sur 
prise  it  will  be  to  the  lady,  who,  I  am  told,  thinks 
herself  your  widow.'' 


232  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"Yes,  she — she  has  a  right  to  believe  herself  my 
\vidow !"  answers  Sendai,  in  so  sad  a  voice  it 
shocks  me.  "My  wife  being  on  board  is  an  unex 
pected  embarrassment  to  me.  I — I  don't  contemplate 
meeting  the  Princess  Sendai,  and  am  glad  that  as  a 
steerage  passenger  the  ship's  purser  didn't  take  the 
trouble  to  register  my  name.  During  this  voyage  I 
shall  remain  incognito." 

"Incognito?"  ejaculates  one  of  the  Japanese  offi 
cers  ;  and  the  other  remarks :  "Excuse  me  suggesting 
that  your  wife  should  know  you  are  alive." 

"Ah,  that  is  my  dilemma  !"  mutters  Sendai.  "That's 
the  reason  I  ask  that  you  keep  my  secret  and  that  of  a 
most  esteemed  and  honored  lady  who  risked  her  repu 
tation  in  an  absurd  yet  most  generous  attempt  to  save 
my  life." 

As  the  Prince  speaks  so  enthusiastically  about  me 
my  heart  gives  a  big  throb.  But  the  other  Japanese 
officer  rejoins :  "Oh,  we've  heard  that  story !  It's  all 
over  Chemulpo  as  well  as  Seoul,  and  I  presume  is  now 
the  chat  of  Tokyo." 

"Then  since  you  have  heard  it,  you  know  my  deli 
cate  position  to  my — my  wife,"  remarks  the  Prince. 
"I  do  not  wish  her  to  think  that  my  presence  on 
board  is  an  attempt  to  foist  myself  upon  her.  I  shall 
eat  in  the  steerage.  A  few  clays  of  hard-tack  and  salt 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  233 

junk  will  be  luxury  to  one  who  has  lived  for  a  month 
among  the  vermin  of  a  Manchurian  hut.  Believe  me, 
I  only  ask  the  silence  of  your  tongues  in  order  that  I 
may  keep  a  very  sacred  obligation." 

"Then  you  are  not  going  near  the  very  beautiful 
lady  who  thinks  herself  your  widow?  You,  her  bride 
groom,  acknowledging  she  is  your  wife,  and  yet  let 
ting  her  believe  you  dead,  you  cold-blooded  mathema 
tician!"  This  is  in  the  voice  of  the  officer  called 
Kanecko. 

"Dead—that's  what  she  has  a  right  to  think  me," 
observes  the  Prince.  "So,  gentlemen,  I  expect  you  to 
respect  my  incognito."  Sendai's  voice  is  so  com 
manding  in  its  sadness  that  it  compels  his  compan 
ions'  almost  immediate  assent. 

After  a  little  the  two  officers  leave  my  husband, 
and  I  think  I  hear  a  sigh  from  the  other  side  of  the 
wind-sail,  mingled  with  a  muttered,  "Ema!"  Which 
I  know  is  the  Japanese  name  for  the  god  of  bad  luck. 
Had  I  heard  another  plaint  I  should  have  probably 
stepped  out  to  this  gentleman  who  ignores  me,  his 
wife.  But  quite  shortly  to  me  floats  the  fumes  of  a 
cigar  and  I  know  my  recreant  husband  is  wooing  the 
weed  men  think  the  panacea  for  masculine  woes. 

So  we  sit,  only  the  big  wind-sail  between  us,  my 
husband  apparently  getting  what  comfort  he  can  out 


234:  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

of  a  very  good  Havana,  and  his  wife  growing  very 
angry  at  him.  I  try  to  contemplate  the  affair  philo 
sophically.  The  more  I  think  of  the  icy  coldness  of 
a  man  who  will  permit  a  declaration  that  he  is  to  die 
in  fifteen  minutes  after  the  ceremony  to  debar  him 
from  even  saying :  "How  are  you,  my  esteemed  Prin 
cess  ?"  and  seeing  how  widow's  weeds  become  me,  be 
fore  he  performs  his  bond  and  passes  out  of  my  life, 
the  more  furious  it  makes  me. 

A  few  minutes  after,  the  sound  of  Sendai's  foot 
steps  tells  me  he  has  departed.  Oh,  what  a  bitter 
blow  to  my  pride  !  A  bridegroom  who  will  permit  any 
promise  whatever  to  keep  him  from  my  side !  Had  I 
loved  him  I  should  be  in  despair;  as  it  is,  I  shall 
bring  this  loiterer  in  matrimony  to  my  feet — to  hu 
miliate  him.  How  to  do  it?  Inspiration  flies 
through  me.  Sendai  is  mathematically  cold,  but  has 
the  hauteur  of  his  Daimio  race.  He  will  never  per 
mit  the  name  of  his  august  family  to  become  the  gos 
sip  of  the  ship.  An  admirer  ?  That  is  what  I  want, 
instantly !  My  recreant  bridegroom  will  hardly  look 
with  complacency  upon  a  moonlight  flirtation  by  his 
wife,  the  Princess  Sendai,  on  this  very  deck.  His 
pride  will  make  him  declare  himself  my  husband. 
An  admirer — an  ardent  admirer ! 

Colonel  Ponsomby,  sauntering  the  deck  and  looking 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  235 

for  me,  is  the  man  for  my  purpose.  Two  minutes  after 
I  am  hanging  on  his  arm  in  a  way  that  makes  the 
British  gallant  think  he  has  made  what  in  American 
slang  is  called  "a  mash." 

The  moon  is  rising  over  the  waves  of  the  Yellow 
Sea.  It  will  give  light  enough  to  Sendai  to  observe 
his  bride  looking  into  the  stalwart  English  Colonel's 
eyes  with  a  widow's  coy  glances. 

Not  that  I  permit  the  flirtation  to  go  very  far, 
though  I  make  it  appear  to  be  much  more  desperate 
than  it  really  is. 

Hanging  lackadaisically  upon  my  gallant's  arm,  I 
keep  the  Colonel  walking  up  and  down  the  forward 
part  of  the  deck,  away  from  most  of  the  cabin  passen 
gers,  but  in  full  view  of  any  gentlemen  smoking  on 
the  steerage.  My  voice  is  low  and  caressing;  I  look 
languishingly  at  Ponsomby  till  he  strokes  his  blond 
moustache  that  has  been  grizzled  by  years  of  Eastern 
service  and  thinks  his  fifty-year-old  beauty  has  played 
havoc  with  my  adolescent  heart.  To  the  military 
beau  I  bashfully  murmur :  "I  could  never  marry  now 
aught  but  an  army  man  of  distinction/' 

His  eyes  begin  to  sparkle  in  the  moonlight  with 
rapture.  "My  deah  young  Princess/'  he  whispers, 
"your  words  show  your  sense  and  make  me  forget 


236  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

everything  but  that  you  are  by  my  side  and  that  I  am 
boyishly  romantic  about  you.  Never  has " 

But  Ponsomby's  ardent  expressions  are  now  inter 
rupted  by  the  suave  voice  of  my  recreant  bridegroom. 
Standing  before  us  in  full  Japanese  uniform,  which 
he  has  apparently  donned  for  his  greeting  to  me,,  Sen- 
dai  remarks  nonchalantly:  "Esteemed  madame,  I  am 
sorry  to  interrupt  your  moonlight  tete-a-tete.  You 
will  excuse  my  not  presenting  myself  immediately  to 
you  upon  my  arrival  on  board.  The  truth  is,  I  was 
so  infamously  dirty  and  unkempt  after  my  Manchu- 
rian  dodging  of  Cossacks  that  I  was  not  presentable 
to — to  my  bride." 

I  give  a  gasp  of  apparently  tremendous  surprise 
and  agitation,  and  falter:  "Sendai,  my  husband,  re 
turned!  Alive!  Here!  Escaped  from  the  Russians!" 

At  my  words  the  British  Colonel  staggers  back  and 
stammers :  "Your  husband  ?  By  Jove  !"  in  astounded 
tones.  Then,  for  Ponsomby  has  a  great  good  will  for 
the  Japanese  and  the  usual  Anglo-Saxon  admiration 
for  heroism,  he  succeeds  in  remarking :  "I'm  very  glad 
to  see  you  alive,  sir.  Your  escape  must  have  been  a 
very  curious  one.  I  have  heard  of  your  heroic  action 
among  the  Russians,  and  with  your  permission  will 
leave  you  to— to  your  wife."  The  last  is  a  regretful 
sigh.  I  presume  the  moonlight  is  becoming  to  me; 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  237 

my  eyes  are  sparkling  with  a  peculiar  yet  audacious 
triumph  as  they  gaze  upon  Sendai. 

I  have  forced  his  hand.    T  have  won — what? 


CHAPTER    X. 
"SHALL  KIGURO'S  SACRIFICE  BE  NAUGHT?" 

Then  the  Colonel  hurries  away  to  the  main  salon 
to  tell  unbelieving  ears  that  the  dead  is  alive  and  my 
husband  in  some  marvelous  manner  has  escaped  Rus 
sian  execution,  while  Sendai  and  I  stand  confronting 
each  other  upon  the  deck,  which  is  now  quite  deserted, 
though  it  is  still  early  in  the  evening,  for  the  night 
has  grown  somewhat  colder. 

My  husband's  attitude  is  so  uncompromising  I  am 
almost  sorry  that  I  forced  him  to  reveal  himself.  His 
black  orbs  glow  with  critical  austerity  from  a  gaunt 
face  which  exhibits  in  every  line  the  terrific  hardships 
he  has  encountered.  He  doesn't  even  take  my  hand. 
Then  a  flash  suddenly  comes  into  the  darkness  of  his 
eyes  and  I  can  see  them  grow  luminous  in  the  moon 
light,  Is  it  because  I  look  so  well  in  black  ? 

Despite  this,  he  remarks,  a  caustic  severity  in  his 
tone  that  frightens  me :  "You  will  pardon  me  present 
ing  myself  to  you,  honored  lady.  When  I  stepped  on 
board  this  vessel  I  had  no  knowledge  that  you  were 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  239 

one  of  its  passengers.  Otherwise,  though  I  am  under 
immediate  orders  for  Tokyo,  I  should  have  in  some 
way  saved  you  the  embarrassment  of  a  journey  on  the 
same  vessel.  But  being  here  and  noting  that,  appar 
ently  convinced  of  my  death,  you  have  already  as 
sumed  a  widow's  privilege  of  coquetry,  I  deemed  it 
necessary  for  my  honor  and  for  yours  to  inform  you 
that  you  have  yet  a  living  husband — though  one  who 
remembers  his  promise  to  you."  The  last  of  his 
speech  is  in  a  saddened  tone. 

"You — you  think  I  will  hold  you  to  your  statement 
that  you  would  very  shortly  die  after  I  gave  you  my 
hand  in  marriage  ?"  I  whisper,  indignation  struggling 
with  misery  in  my  voice. 

"I  believe  that  you  have  a  right  to  demand  that  I 
keep  my  contract/'  he  remarks,  solemnly,  "but  that 
afterward !  As  it  is  now  known  that  I,  your  husband, 
am  on  board  this  boat  with  you,  it  is  my  duty  as  well 
as  my  pleasure  to  shield  you  from  the  embarrassment 
which  would  come  to  you  with  it.  For  this  purpose 
I  assume  sole  authority  over  a  lady  bearing  my  name 
until  I  can  say  to  her:  'Go  thy  way !'  When  next  you 
hear  of  me  I  shall  be  but  a  memory." 

A  buzz  from  the  cabins  tells  me  that  the  escape  of 
my  husband  from  the  Eussians  is  known  about  the 
boat.  Ponsomby's  tongue  has  done  quick  duty  in  the 


240  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

main  salon,  from  which  a  number  of  gentlemen  are 
hurrying  to  the  deck,  headed  by  the  skipper,  to  wel 
come  an  officer  whose  gallant  feat  has  made  him  the 
talk  of  the  Far  East. 

The  Prince  looks  at  me  for  a  moment ;  then  says : 
"Under  the  circumstances,  you  will  admit  I  have 
no  option,  esteemed  Princess.  You  will  announce  to 
your  father" — there  is  command  in  his  tone — "that  I 
wish  to  greet  him  as 

"As  what?"  I  falter. 

"As  your  husband  I" 

"Y-e-s3"  I  stammer,  meekly,  and  would  turn  away. 
But  for  the  first  time  during  this  interview  he  takes 
my  hand  and  draws  me  to  him — I  think  to  caress  me 
— but  he  merely  whispers  in  my  ear  a  solemn  warn 
ing:  "Until  I  pass  from  your  life,  no  glance  at  any 
other  man  but  me."  His  eyes  seem  to  me  big  as  Blue 
beard's. 

"Of — of  course,"  I  shiver,  more  docilely  than  I  had 
ever  anwered  in  my  life  before.  Then  I  plead: 
"Please  wait  a  second,  Sendai,  till  I  have  explained  to 
Papa.  Your  resurrection  will  be  a  shock  to  him, 
for  he  thought  he  saw  your  body  hanging  on  that 
Manchurian  bridge." 

"From  that  Manchurian  bridge — by  Diakoku,  you 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  241 

mean — oh,  I  know  whom  you  mean! — Kiguro,  who 
gave  his  noble  life  for  me.  Yes,  yes,  tell  your  father !" 

Sendai  steps  to  the  bulwark ;  his  face  is  turned  over 
the  Yellow  Sea  towards  Manchuria ;  his  thoughts  have 
placed  him  beside  the  dead  body  making  atonement 
for  him — to  Eussian  execution.  Tears,  the  first  I 
have  ever  seen  in  Sendai's  eyes,  dim  them  as  they  gaze 
over  the  moonlit  water.  The  softer  emotion  in  him 
gives  me  hope  he  will  be  merciful  to  me.  And  yet  I 
am  not  sorry  his  austere  warning  frightened  me  and 
made  me  tremble.  That  would  indicate  that  he  was 
the  being  intended  for  me  by  Nature  and  the  Bible. 

Half  staggering  to  Papa's  cabin,  I  give  a  warning 
rap  and  enter.  He  is  seated,  writing  on  some  con 
tracts  or  estimates,  I  suppose.  To  him  I  tell  my  won 
drous  story  of  Kiguro's  enormous  sacrifice  and  my 
husband's  marvelous  escape  from  Eussian  death. 

As  he  listens,  Dad  shudders :  "Nonsense !  You've 
gone  crazy  thinking  on  the  subject,  unhappy  girl  I" 

"Nonsense?"  I  answer;  "Sendai  is  outside  that 
door  waiting  on  the  deck  there." 

Evidence  of  this  is  now  coming  in  to  us.  We  hear 
some  Japanese  officers  who  had  cabin  passage  cry: 
"Banzai  Sendai !"  We  hear  the  skipper  saying  he  is 
honored  by  having  the  Prince  on  board  his  ship. 

The  English  contingent,  headed  by  Ponsomby,  are 


242  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

crying :  "Bravo,  Senclai !"  and  Sammy  Debrow's  voice 
is  saying,  generously :  "You  Japanese  hero,  your  bride 
is  in  there  waiting  for  you." 

There  is  a  rap  upon  the  door. 

I  bow  my  head.  Something  comes  into  my  heart 
that  make  my  eyes  swim. 

"By  the  Eternal!"  screams  Dad,  springing  from 
his  desk  and  knocking  his  business  papers  right  and 
left.  "Good  God !— you  here— alive  ?" 

For  Sendai,  in  as  natty  a  Japanese  uniform  as  ever 
graced  dandy  of  the  Guard,  and  looking  as  dashing, 
despite  his  privations,  as.  any  officer  in  the  Mikado's 
service,  stands  before  us. 

As  the  lamplight  permits  him  for  the  first  time 
full  view  of  his  blushing  widow,  an  eagerness  springs 
into  his  dark  eyes  that  gives  my  heart  a  terrible 
thumping,  automobile  action.  My  limbs  scarce  sup- 
port  me. 

Noting  this,  the  Prince  places  me  most  politely  in 
a  chair. 

Without  waiting  for  my  husband  to  speak,  my 
father  breaks  out  upon  him :  "My  God,  Sendai,  how 
could  you  put  such  desperate  peril  upon  my  daughter 
by  visiting  her  at  our  bungalow  by  the  railroad  bridge 
you  were  going  to  mine !" 

Here  a  sad  voice  makes  my  heart  beat  indignantly, 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  243 

as  the  Prince  answers :  "I  had  no  idea  of  meeting  you 
or  your  daughter  there,  honored  Mr.  Armstrong.  I 
presumed  you  at  Port  Arthur.  My  objective  was,  of 
course,  that  Russian  bridge,  whose  construction  I  had 
learned  well  from  its  drawings  I  saw  when  I  visited 
you  in  Tokyo/' 

He  didn't  come  to  Manchuria  because  he  must  see 
my  face !  I  am  so  chagrined  I  kick  my  feet  about,  as 
the  cold-blooded  creature  continues,  impressively: 
"Your  unexpected  and  sudden  arrival  with  your 
daughter  appalled  me,  esteemed  American.  Then  my 
great  hope  was  that  you  would  not  discover  me  in 
your  coolie  gardener  engaged  by  Yaling,  who  hates 
the  Russians  because  they  killed  his  father  and  all 
his  brothers  during  Boxer  time  up  in  the  Liao  River 
Valley.  When  you  took  the  railroad  the  next  morn 
ing  to  go  north,  that  was  a  relief  to  me.  But,  unfor 
tunately,  you  left  your  daughter  at  your  house,  and 
she,  to  my  dismay  and  horror,  discovered  my  identity. 
I  tried  to  keep  her  from  any  communication  with  me, 
but  despite  her  own  risk  she  came  to  me  in  the  dead 
of  night  to  warn  me  of  the  additional  danger  upon 
me  from  the  Russian  suspicion  of  Yaling.  Then,  at 
my  request,  to  keep  her  from  scandal,  she  married  a 
dying  man.  She  risked  so  much  for  my  poor  life,  I 


244  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

thought  she  might  endure  being  my  wife  for  fifteen 
short  minutes." 

Good  Heavens !  Even  Sendai  thinks  I  love  him.  I 
am  so  incensed  I  wriggle  nervously  on  my  chair. 

"Well,  since  you're  not  dead,"  says  Father,  quite 
cheerfully,  "and  are  married  to  my  daughter,  I  reckon 
the  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  go  into  business  with 
me.  You're  the  corkingest  engineer  I  ever  saw.  They 
are  going  to  build  three  or  four  big  cantilever  bridges 
across  the  East  Eiver,  and  with  your  engineering 
ability  I  think  we  can  get  the  contracts  and  make  a 
raft  of  money." 

"There  is  something  better  for  a  Japanese  soldier 
than  building  bridges  just  at  present,"  remarks  Sen 
dai,  gravely.  "I  am  about  to  apply  for  permission  to 
leave  the  General  Staff  for  active  duty  in  the  front. 

"Why,  there's  no  work  for  engineers  in  the  front  of 
battle!"  I  break  in,  for  my  husband's  manner 
frightens  me. 

"Pardon  me,  honored  lady,"  returns  the  Prince. 
"JsTow  that  modern  war  has  been  made  scientific, 
the  highest  duty  of  an  engineer  is  in  the  very  front 
of  battle.  We  have  to  assault  fortified  places.  Who 
must  make  the  reconnoisances,  drawing  the  Russian 
fire  to  determine  the  calibre  of  the  guns,  and  how  best 
to  silence  their  artillery — the  engineers !  Who  must 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  245 

discover,  if  possible,  and  cut  in  the  midst  of  engage 
ment  the  wires  leading  to  the  Muscovite  mines  that 
will  be  placed  to  blow  up  our  charging  regiments  ?" 

"My  God,  that's  the  point  of  greatest  danger,  Sen- 
dai !"  I  falter — for  his  sadly  determined  face  frightens 
me,  and  I  note  that  he  no  more  calls  me  wife,  but  hon 
ored  lady. 

"The  place  of  greatest  danger  is  where  I  wish  to 
be  I"  he  answers,  sententiously. 

But  Papa  breaks  in :  "You've  got  to  think  of  your 
wife  now,  young  man,  even  if  your  country  is  at  war/' 

"Perhaps  this  discussion  had  better  go  on  entirely 
between  your  father  and  myself,  honored  Princess," 
remarks  Sendai,  looking  at  my  perturbed  face  and 
trembling  form.  "You  had  best  retire  to  your  own 
cabin,  esteemed  lady.  There  I  will  consult  with  you 
quite  shortly." 

The  coldness  of  his  tone  shocks  me,  but  I  rise  f  alter- 
ingly  without  a  word.  The  Prince  ceremoniously  es 
corts  me  to  the  door,  and  bowing  to  me  whispers  point 
edly  :  "I  shall  have  a  few  questions  to  ask  you  as  hus 
band  to  wife."  Somehow  I  know  he's  going  to  be 
awfully  strict  with  me. 

As  I  turn  from  the  cabin  entrance  Father 
chuckles:  "Thunder!  Already  she  obeys  you  better 
than  she  ever  did  me !"  Then  I  hear  Papa  whisper : 


24G  NY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"I'm  going  to  dower  your  bride  nobly  to  support  her 
rank,  Prince — a  couple  of  million  dollars !"  and  I  un 
derstand  by  dear  old  Dad's  pleading  tones  that  he  is 
trying  to  induce  Scndai  to  accord  me  more  considera 
tion  than  Oriental  husband  usually  gives  Eastern 
wife. 

To  this  my  bridegroom  says:  "My  honored  Mr. 
Armstrong,  money  is  your  daughter's  slightest  charm 
in  my  eyes." 

Aha!  That  puts  an  idea  in  my  head!  "Slightest 
charm !"  At  least  Sendai  thinks  I  am  beautiful. 

I  trip  over  the  deck  quickly  to  my  cabin,  tear  off 
my  widow's  weeds,  toss  them  across  the  stateroom, 
open  my  trunks  and  command  San  Shoo  to  make  me 
bridelike ! 

Soon  in  dazzling,  gleaming  satin,  white  from  petite 
slippers  to  soft  lace  neckgear,  I  sit,  uneasily,  awaiting 
coming  husband. 

A  few  minutes  after,  the  Prince  marches  into  my 
cabin.  I  arise  flutteringly  to  meet  him.  At  his  gesture 
San  Shoo  leaves  the  big  deck  cabin,  and  I  stand  glanc 
ing  at  him  bashfully.  We  had  been  alone  together  be 
fore  ;  but  then  my  husband  had  been  bound  and  help 
less — dying !  Now  he  is  free  and  my  master ! 

To  me  he  says  in  his  formal  Japanese  way :  "Hon 
ored  Princess,  esteemed  lady,"  and  bows  to  the  deck. 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  247 

And  I,  imitating  Japanese  fashion,  bend  before 
nim,  and  rubbing  my  hands  upon  my  knees,  imitate 
that  peculiar  hissing  which  indicates  the  reverent 
salute  of  wife  to  husband. 

At  this  for  a  moment  he  smiles,  and  says:  "You 
don't  do  it  as  well  as  when  you  were  a  geisha,  child. 
You  are  too  frightened— frightened  of  me."  Ah,  the 
pathos  in  his  precise,  soft  voice  as  he  continues :  "You 
hoped  you  were  my  widow,  not  my  wife !" 

"I — I  did  not  know  that  you  would  escape,"  I  fal 
ter. 

"Yes,  the  black  mourning  of  your  robe  told  me  you 
believed  I  had  kept  my  contract  to  die  after  I  married 
you,"  he  answers,  simply.  "Yaling's  words  to  me, 
that  you  directed  him  to  tell  me  that  I  had  not  broken 
my  parole  to  the  Russian  officers  and  could  escape  with 
honor,  produced  an  audacious  hope  that  you  might 
wish  a  living  huband;  not  a  dead  one.  But  upon  that 
deck  I  saw  a  widow's  coquetry ;  it  told  me  you  believed 
I  had  kept  my  bond.  Do  not  despair,  honored 
lady,  my  contract  is  only  postponed  for  a  little  time. 
No  woman  shall  say  I  broke  my  word  to  her,  and, 
least  of  all,  my  wife.  Don't  scream !" — I  had  emitted 
a  shivering  plaint — "I  shall  not  commit  seppuku 
in  the  usual  way,  but  I  shall  see  you  no  more,  and 
you  will. read  of  my  death  where  I  can  do  my  country 


248  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

the  greatest  good  by  dying.  There  are  better  ways  of 
committing  liari  kiri  now  for  Japan  than  by  the  short- 
sword  method.  Sayonara!"  He  turns  to  leave  the 
cabin. 

These  words  from  the  mouths  of  some  men  I  would 
believe  bravado,  but  from  Scndai's  cool,  clean-cut, 
aristocratic  lips  they  mean  his  death.  Falteringly,  I 
shudder :  "Shall  that  sacrifice  of  the  noble  Kiguro  be 
in  vain?  No,  no!" 

For  a  moment  a  kind  of  rapture  lights  his 
face;  then,  misunderstanding  me,  he  simply  bows 
again,  and  says:  "I  thank  you  for  permitting  me 
to  live.  Allow  me  to  ask  a  question  and  I  shall  leave 
you.  Do  you  know  who  betrayed  my  presence  by  the 
bridge  to  the  Russian  officers?  When  I  was  seized  I 
immediately  suspected  that  Yaling,  under  bribery  or 
torture,  had  betrayed  me  to  my  enemies,  but  since 
then,  his  active  aid  for  my  safety  and  his  own  flight 
from  the  enemies  of  Japan  have  convinced  me  of  his 
innocence." 

I  look  nervously  at  my  husband.  His  cool,  piercing 
eyes  tell  me  that  he  half  guesses.  For  the  second  time 
in  my  life  I  am  frightened  of  this  man.  I,  Hilda 
Armstrong— no,  Hilda  Sendai— commence  to  tremble 
before  my  judge-like  husband.  To  him  I  stammer : 
"It  was  I,  unwittingly— believe  me,  Sendai— who  be- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  249 

trayed  you.  My  visit  to  give  you  warning  was  what 
brought  death  so  close  to  you." 

"By  Ema,  you  told  Schevitch!"  he  shudders,  and 
his  mien  grows  terrifying. 

"No,  no ;  not  that !  I  would  have  died  sooner  than 
betray  you.  I  took  the  risk  of  my  own  life  to  save 
you — you  remember  that — you  must  know  that." 

"Yes,  but — but  the  Kussian  was  at  your  country 
house  and — and  made  love  to  you!"  he  mutters,  fever 
ishly,  and  his  eyes  glow  with  fiery  misery. 

Aha !  At  last  I  know  the  full  meaning  of  Sendai's 
perturbed  manner,  of  Sendai's  questions.  He  is  jeal 
ous — jealous  of  Schevitch !  Despite  his  self-restraint 
I  can  see  his  lips  twitch  beneath  his  moustache. 

I  could  clap  my  hands  in  triumph  as  I  answer, 
proudly :  "No,  the  Baron  did  not  make  love  to  me ;  I 
wouldn't  permit  it."  Then  tears  come  very  near  my 
eyes  as  I  whimper :  "No  man — not  even  my  own  hus 
band — has  made  love  to  me." 

"By  your  husband  you  mean  me?"  Sendai's  face, 
from  that  of  judge,  becomes  that  of  an  adorer. 

"Of  course,  I  do,"  I  flutter.  "Who  ever  married 
me  before?  Isn't  this  a  bride's  dress?" 

Either  the  beauty  of  my  costume  or  the  latent  insin 
uation  of  my  manner  seems  to  make  my  husband  more 
of  a  Turk  than  a  Japanese. 


250  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

"And  no  man  will  marry  you  again.  You  are  my 
own!77  he  replies,  in  Oriental  passion.  "I  shall  es 
cort  you,  honored  spouse,  to  my  father's,  the  Prince's, 
estates.  There  you  will  remain  as  Japanese  Princess 
should,  awaiting  a  daimio  when  he  goes  to  battle.77 

But  this  suggestion  of  princely  seclusion  frightens 
me.  I  plead:  "No,  no;  please  not,  my  honored  hus 
band.  Think  what  it  will  mean  to  me,  who  do  not 
speak  the  language,  alone  in  the  retirement  of  a  Jap 
anese  wife.7' 

"Ah,  yes,  but  what  I  saw  upon  the  deck  this  night,7' 
dissents  Sendai;  "that  clinging  to  the  stalwart  Eng 
lish  Colonel7s  arm;  those  coy,  alluring  glances  in  his 
wooing  face." 

"Pish !"  I  answer,  flippantly.    "Ponsomby  is  fifty." 

"Old  snakes  are  deadly,77  replies  the  Prince,  senten- 
tiously.  Then  he  asks  a  short,  sharp  question :  "Did 
you  know  I  was  living  when  you  gave  tete-a-tete  to  the 
English  officer?" 

Beneath  his  searching  glance  I  dare  not  lie.  "Yes !" 
I  answer,  almost  defiantly. 

"Izanagi!"  Sendai7s  face  says  liari  /art. 

"But  it  was  to  bring  you  to  my  side !"  I  cry,  almost 
imploringly.  "Do  you  suppose  I  would  permit  such  in 
sult  as  a  voyage  incognito  on  the  same  ship  by  my 
bridegroom  for  any  reason  on  this  earth  except  I  told 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  251 

him,  'Get  ye  gone !'  Have  I  uttered  those  words,  my 
husband  ?"  I  am  so  angry  at  him  that  I  forget  maid 
enly  pride  and  half  sob :  "You  need  have  no  fear  of 
me,  your  wife — no  fear  of  Russian  barons  or  anything 
else  but  your  own  jealousy/'  I  have  thrown  away  all 
hauteur.  My  timid  manner,  my  abashed  face,  my 
teary  eyes,  tell  him  he  is  monarch  of  all  he  surveys. 

Gazing  upon  me,  my  husband  commences  to  smile 
again,  and  after  a  minute's  consideration,  says :  "N"o, 
I  believe  retirement  would  not  suit  you,  my  dashing 
Hilda."  He  seats  himself  as  if  he  were  at  home,  and 
his  manner  becomes  American.  "Perhaps  when  I  go 
to  the  front,  you  had  better  live  by  yourself  after  I 
have  presented  you  to  my  father  and  mother, 
the  old  Prince  and  Princess.  Though  the  Yashiki 
of  our  family  was  given  thirty  years  ago  to  the  general 
government,  I  have  a  very  pretty  palace  near  the 
Kasuyima  Street  in  Tokyo.  There  you  can  receive 
your  foreign  and  American  friends  as  a  modern  prin 
cess  of  Japan.  How  do  you  like  that  ?" 

"Oh,  that  will  be  very  nice,  Okashi,"  I  whisper. 
Then  I  venture  to  place  my  hand  confidingly  but  tim 
idly  on  his  shoulder  and  whisper :  "You  are  going  to 
treat  me  as  if  I  were  a  modern  American  wife,  eh?" 

As  I  speak  I  reflect  with  horror  that  I  shall  never 
be  kissed  in  my  whole  life.  The  Japanese  never  kiss. 


252  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

Sendai  will  never  kiss  me,  and  I  know  he  will  never 
permit  any  other  gentleman  to  salute  me  by  oscula 
tion.  Xo  to  be  kissed  in  my  whole  life !  And  here  is 
a  husband  who,  I  believe,  is  beginning  to  adore  me 
in  his  awful,  formal  Japanese  way. 

My  grasp  upon  my  husband's  arm  has  become  a 
clinging  one.  He  is  seated ;  I  sink  on  my  knees  before 
him  and  hide  my  head  in  his  lap.  My  mental  teleg 
raphy  appears  to  reach  his  acute  senses;  a  smile  rip 
ples  his  features,  he  half  laughs :  "By  the  bye,  if  I  per 
mit  you  to  live  as  a  modern  American  wife,  perhaps 
my  exquisite  bride  would  like  me  to  treat  her  as  if  I 
were  an  ordinary  American  husband?" 

My  face  glows  like  a  lotus  flower.  I  glance  up  archly 
at  him,  and  murmur :  "Yes,  Sendai." 

Oh,  mercy!  His  arm  glides  round  my  slender 
waist;  his  athletic  embrace  nearly  makes  me  squeal. 
He  draws  my  blushing  face  to  him  and  kisses  me  as  if 
his  very  soul  wrere  on  his  lips. 

Then  the  wretch  laughs :  "How  is  that  for  high,  lit 
tle  woman?" 

Where  did  the  villain  learn  to  kiss  so  potently? 
It  must  have  been  when  he  was  a  Harvard  freshman 
studying  American  customs ;  the  Japanese  are  such  a 
thorough  race. 

Oh,  Heaven,  how  happy  I  am !    Sendai  is  whisper- 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  253 

ing  to  me:  "I  knew  yon  loved  me  when  you  risked 
your  life  to  try  and  save  me"  Even  my  husband 
thinks  I  love  him ! 

"Now,"  he  observes,  "a  little  tour  of  the  salon  to 
gether,  just  to  prove  you  are  no  widow." 

Jack  Bristow  says  I'm  spoons  on  Sendai,  as  I 
come  out  of  the  cabin  hanging  on  the  Prince's  arm, 
"  'Melican  fashion." 

About  this  time  Dad  is  going  about  the  ship's  deck 
and  talking  to  the  skipper  of  "my  son-in-law,  Prince 
Sendai,  the  greatest  engineer  officer  I've  ever  seen, 
and  I've  tackled  all  of  'em."  At  first  opportunity  he 
whispers  to  Sendai :  "Can't  you  give  me  a  day  or  two 
in  Tokyo,  Prince,  from  your  military  duty,  just  to  go 
over  the  plans  of  the  new  East  River  bridge  that  have 
been  forwarded  to  me  from  America  ?" 

And  the  Prince  says :  "No,  all  the  time  I  have  to 
spare,  esteemed  Mr.  Armstrong,  shall  be  given  to 
my  wife  before  I  go  to  the  front." 
;  Before  he  goes  to  the  front !  Oh,  that's  what  makes 
my  bride's  heart  so  heavy !  I  know  the  Russians  will 
kill  him.  They  missed  him  once,  but  now  he'll  no 
more  have  his  devoted  Samurai  to  give  his  life  for 
him. 

But  Sendai's  ardor  makes  me  forget  future  fears  in 


254  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

present  love.  Never  was  bride  so  happy  all  this  honey- 
moon  voyage. 

\Ve  reach  Tokyo,,  and  oh,  the  to-do  that  the  Japan 
ese  capital  makes  over  my  heroic  husband.  The  Mi 
kado  accords  him  a  private  audience,  and  Pinkie  Cald- 
well  at  last  believes  that  Sendai  loves  me ! 

Soon  in  the  beautiful  cemetery,  by  the  grave  of  the 
forty-seven  Eonins,  who  died  for  their  Daimio  two 
hundred  years  ago,  the  Prince  erects  a  Shinto  shrine 
to  the  actor  of  the  Kabukiza  Theatre,  who  gave  his 
life,  like  they,  for  his  feudal  chief.  Japanese  throngs 
come  to  worship  it.  They  know  the  touching  story, 
and  though  no  more  the  crowds  applaud  Kiguro  on 
the  flowery  paths  of  the  Kabukiza  Theatre,  they  have 
a  grand  performance  in  his  memory  and  for  his 
widow's  benefit.  But  that  is  not  necessarv.  The 
Thousand  Joys  can  have  all  the  Prince  and  I  possess 
to  make  her  life  a  happy  one.  The  heroic  spirit  of  her 
husband  she  can  only  meet  beyond  the  shades. 

Then  my  husband  leaves  me  to  fight  the  Eussians  -f 
and  the  days  of  awful  waiting  come.  The  social  world, 
Japanese  and  foreign,  is  at  my  feet,  but  I  think  no 
more  of  it;  I  only  think  of  his  danger. 

Then  we  hear  the  news  of  the  carrying  of  Kin-chow 
and  that  awful  Nanshan  Hill,  bristling  with  cannon 
and  mined  at  its  base.  But  who  found  the  wires  to 


MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE  255 

the  Russian  mines  and  in  the  front  of  that  dread  as 
sault  cut  them  and  saved  the  charging  Japanese  regi 
ments  from  annihilation?  My  husband  was  one  of 
that  band  of  heroic  engineers. 

Then  something  strikes  my  heart ! 

I  scream  as  I  hear  them  say  I  may  be  a  real  widow. 

Then  a  wire  comes  that  tells  me  he  perhaps  will  live, 
and  I  go  down  by  steamboat  to  Chemulpo.  There  I 
find  him  in  the  hospital  and  nurse  him,  and  the  sur 
geons  say  my  devotion  saved  my  darling  boy's  life. 

We  have  returned  to  Tokyo. 

Now  he  can  walk  with  a  cane.  But,  thank  God,  he 
won't  be  able  to  fight  again  for  a  year  or  two !  By 
that  time  the  war  will  probably  be  over. 

The  Mikado  has  appointed  him  military  attache  of 
the  Japanese  Embassy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James — the 
English  Court!  Look  out  for  your  prestige,  Mes- 
dames'  Marlborough  and  Roxburghe.  What  are  your 
puny  titles,  scarce  two  hundred  years  old,  to  that  of  a 
daimio  prince,  whose  house  for  two  thousand  years 
has  record  in  the  history  of  Japan  ? 

The  Japs  are  the  coming  race,  I  can  tell  you !  Way 
for  the  Princess  Sendai !  Banzai,  Princess  Sendai! 

Jingo,  if  my  modest  husband  saw  what  I  am  writ 
ing! 

I  hear  his  halting  step  upon  the  lacquered  palace 


256  MY  JAPANESE  PRINCE 

floor;  I  run  out,  put  my  arm  beneath  his  wounded 
shoulder  and  make  myself  his  crutch. 

As  I  support  him  he  kisses  me  as  fervidly  as  if  he 
were  a  West  Point  man.  My  husband,  the  dandiest 
officer  in  one  of  the  bravest  armies  in  the  world,  the 
fellow  who  doesn't  fear — even  his  own  wife! 


Finis. 


3SS 


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